


Blood and Gold

by AmberLS123



Series: Alternate Universes [1]
Category: The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bi-Gender Character(s), F/M, Gay Male Character, Golden Age of Piracy, Gunshot Wounds, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, M/M, Multi, Murder, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Originally Posted on deviantART, Pirates, Psychological Torture, Robbery, Stabbing, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Vampires, Violence, Work In Progress, cursed pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 66,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26491681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberLS123/pseuds/AmberLS123
Summary: After being shipwrecked in a storm, Basil is "rescued" and taken aboard the Felicia, a ship captained by none other than the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean, Captain Padraic Ratigan. Other GMD characters will make appearances along with several OCs.
Relationships: Basil of Baker Street/Original Female Character(s), Basil of Baker Street/Original Male Character(s), origin - Relationship
Series: Alternate Universes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925989
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally created way back in 2013 and is co-authored by my friend NightMagican (deviantART). We also received help from CherlnIDA and MimmiMeArt (also from dA). Basically we wanted to throw the GMD characters along with our OCs into the Golden Age of Piracy, so here we are! 
> 
> Like all the other fics I've shared here on AO3, I've made minor edits to this fic correcting grammar/spelling mistakes and such. Most of it remains unchanged apart from that. My writing has improved over the seven years since it began, and it's still a work in progress! But the good news is there are only maybe two more chapters left to write, and one is almost complete. So hopefully the entire thing will be finished soon. But we hope you enjoy the story thus far!
> 
> Credits for major characters:  
> Basil, Ratigan, and Dr. Dawson (c)Eve Titus and Disney  
> Fidget, Kitty, Bill the Lizard, and other henchmen (c)Disney  
> Amber Mus, Thomas Grayson, Fane cel Rau, Maxwell Baumann (c)Me, AmberLS123  
> Ray Lehman, Oliver Loran, Lucille the mermaid, Flicka (c)NightMagican  
> Michael Zepp, Sigurd (c)CherlnIDA  
> All other minor character appearances are credited in the chapter(s) they appear in.

As dark storm clouds lingered on the horizon, two ships cut through the waters of the Caribbean, one in hot pursuit of the other. The _H. M. S. Intrepid_ , one of Mousedom’s finest military vessels, cut through the waves smoothly as she sailed at full speed towards her target. The ship was a flurry of activity as the crew hurried about to do their tasks.

The cabin boy, a young mouse by the name of Basil Brettman, felt a thrill of excitement course through his veins. He knew a pirate ship when he saw one. He hadn’t been in the service for long, but he already had plenty of experience dealing with them. An excellent swordsmouse, he’d proven himself within a month of joining and earned his place among the ranks. However, despite his skills, the one thing he seemed to have a problem with was following the strict rules and regulations. Added to the fact that he was a bit hot-headed and stubborn, and it wasn’t difficult to guess that he stayed in trouble often. He’d lost count of the times he’d been disciplined for fighting, disobeying orders, or just for ticking off one of the crew for his little habit of deducing every detail about them. In fact, he had lost his position because of his insubordination. Now, as cabin boy, his main duties consisted of performing the most menial tasks such as swabbing the deck, washing dishes, cleaning, cooking, et cetera. But whenever a ship came into view, he would quickly take his place among the crew to help trim the sails and prepare the cannons.

“Step lively lads!” Lieutenant Gibson called out as he bustled by, hurrying up the stairs to the helm. As Basil helped to secure one of the lines, he overheard Gibson speaking with Commodore Thomas Grayson. “Is she flying any colors?” the burly mouse asked.

“No,” the Commodore replied, lowering his spyglass. He gave his lieutenant a knowing glance. “But she has red sails.”

Gibson’s eyes widened. “ _The Felicia_ ,” he stated, unable to hide a slight trace of fear in his voice.

A chill ran down Basil’s spine, for _the Felicia_ was captained by none other than the infamous Captain Padraic Ratigan, one of the most notorious and bloodthirsty pirates in the Caribbean. But with that storm coming up so fast, it would be pointless to give pursuit now. “Um, sir?” Basil spoke up rather than hold his tongue. “Is it really such a good idea to sail straight into that storm?”

The commodore, a mouse with dark brown fur who was only a few years older than Basil, didn’t even look in his direction as he sighed exasperatingly. “Mr. Gibson, kindly escort this mouse back to the galley where he belongs.”

Growling in annoyance, Basil wrenched his arm from the lieutenant’s grasp before he could drag him away. “Even with _the Intrepid_ being the fastest ship in the Caribbean,” he insisted, “we’ll never catch them. Squalls like this are dangerous enough on their own, and we’ll lose the pirates in the fog. Plus there’s always the chance of running aground or being dashed to pieces on the rocks or—"

“We’ve weathered through worst storms than this, as you well know," the commodore interrupted. "And in case you’ve forgotten, we are on a mission, Mr. Basil: a mission to catch these pirates so that they’ll receive the justice they deserve.”

Basil balled his hands up into fists by his side. “It all boils down to the fact that you’re willing to risk the lives of your own crew on the exceedingly slim chance that you might finally capture the pirate who’s led you on a wild goose chase all these months—”

“Mr. Basil, that’s quite enough!” Grayson shouted angrily, eyes flashing like daggers as he whirled around to face the insolent mouse. “You do not hold a position of rank on this ship, and this cheeky behavior is exactly why.” Basil winced, but as Grayson suddenly grabbed him by his shirt collar, it took every ounce of self-control not to punch the commodore in the face then and there in front of the entire crew. “However,” Grayson hissed in his face, “I will not put up with it any longer. You’re lucky I don’t give you a few lashes to teach you a lesson. Now I suggest you straighten up and learn to follow orders before I have to take any further disciplinary action against you. Understood?”

The defeated mouse felt his cheeks burning in embarrassment as he averted his eyes to the floor. “Aye,” he muttered quietly.

“Aye, what?” Grayson prodded.

Basil ground his teeth together before replying more loudly. “Aye… sir.”

“Good. Now get back to your post.” Basil quickly whirled around, feeling all eyes on him as he retreated hanging his head in humiliation.

“And Mr. Basil,” Grayson added. Basil halted and froze stiffly, not even bothering to turn around to face the Commodore again. “This is your final warning.”

Seething with rage, Basil hastily descended the steps into the hold away from the burning glances and shaking heads of the crew.  
....

An hour later, the storm hit. Lightning crackled across the sky and the thunder roared deafeningly. The wind howled around the ship like a siren, rain pouring in sheets as if the bottom of the clouds had dropped out. The timbers of the ship groaned and creaked as it was battered about unmercifully, waves washing up onto the deck and almost washing some of the men overboard. Deep in the hold, Basil staggered forward unsteadily. _What did I tell you?_ he thought bitterly to himself, hoping the Commodore was happy. _Probably locked up in his cabin sulking-_

Basil fell against the wall as the ship lurched suddenly, and a moment later there was the sharp crack of splintering wood as the ship crashed against something. The force knocked Basil down to the floor, and though he tried to roll out of the way, a large beam came crashing down on him from the ceiling. The impact with his skull caused him to groan in pain, and his world turned dark as he slipped into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Awoken by the cries of seagulls overhead, Basil winced as he came to, letting out a painful groan. He reached up to touch the back of his throbbing head only to find that he couldn’t move. Looking around frantically, he realized that he was trapped beneath the beam that had fallen on top of him, along with more rubble from the ceiling. He managed to lift his head enough to look to the right and see the waves lapping against the rocks they had crashed into through several gaping holes in the side of the ship. _The Intrepid_ had been completely destroyed. It was a wonder she hadn’t sunk, though he thanked fortune for that or else he’d have woken up in Davy Jones’ Locker.

Wondering if any other crew members had survived, Basil began to call out weakly trying to gain someone’s attention. Surely they hadn’t all been lost to the sea...

After a while, as his voice strained from overuse, Basil heard footsteps on the deck above. Well, what was left of the deck, at least. “Ahoy!” he shouted. “Down here!” As more footsteps pattered across the deck, Basil’s heart leaped with joy. They had heard him! He was saved! However, as the source of the footprints descended the stairs and came into view, Basil’s blood ran cold, for his rescuers were not his former shipmates.

“Well, well. What ‘ave we got here, mates?” a tall green lizard wearing boots that buckled all the way up to his knees remarked as he sauntered toward Basil followed by three others. Basil struggled frantically beneath the wreckage, grunting with effort.

“Floppin’ around like a bloomin’ fish, he is!” a shorter stocky mouse with tattoos remarked, earning chuckles from his companions. Basil tried unsuccessfully to stifle a groan as the weight of the beam shifted, threatening to crush him.

“Should put ‘im out of ‘is misery,” a bizarre bat with a peg leg remarked, his voice harsh and grating. Basil shuddered at the voice and the wicked grin he gave him as he drew a sharp dagger from his belt.

“Yeah, carve ‘im up real nice and slow,” said another, this one a rough-looking mouse wearing a striped shirt and purple bandana wrapped around his head.

“An’ then feed ‘im to the sharks!” another mouse agreed excitedly, waving a hook that seemed to have been a replacement for his missing left hand.

“ _Nej_ ,” another replied a commanding voice in Danish. A young handsome mouse wearing a long black coat lined with silver buttons and wearing a large hat with brilliant red feathers came into view as he descended the stairs. His fur had a reddish tint to it too, all except for dark brown spots around the eyes. He also wore an eye patch, but his one good eye, the iris a steely gray, glared down at his subordinates, causing them to shuffle nervously. Basil eyed the belt slung across his shoulder which held a pistol and cutlass, knowing that a pirate like him wouldn’t hesitate to use them. “You heard the Captain,” the mouse reprimanded. “Any survivors are to be taken to him for questioning.”

“S-Sorry, sir,” the bat nervously apologized, quickly putting his knife away while the others did the same.

“I won’t tell you filthy pirates a bloody thing!” Basil growled.

Instead of getting angry, the red-furred mouse smiled down at his prisoner. “Oh, I’m sure your tongue will loosen up by the time the captain is through with you.” He nodded at the others. “Get him out of there. And try to keep him in one piece.”

“Aye, aye, Mr. Lehmann,” they replied, throwing awkward salutes as they hurried to carry out his order. Once they managed to lift the beam enough to drag him out, Basil immediately began fighting to escape. His fist made contact first with the lizard’s jaw, and he kicked the other two mice holding on to him, causing them to double over in pain. The bat tackled him from behind but let go as soon as Basil elbowed him in the gut. Casting about for a weapon, he spotted the lizard’s fallen sword and lunged for it but stopped dead in his tracks as a bullet whizzed past his head. Looking up from his position on the floor, Lehmann stepped towards him aiming his pistol right between Basil’s eyes.

“Next time, I won’t miss,” he said threateningly. Basil believed him and raised his hands in surrender. The other pirates, now recovered and extremely pissed off by his attacks grabbed Basil roughly and pulled him up the stairs to the main deck. Blinded by the sudden brightness from the sun, Basil stumbled forward in a daze as they bound his hands behind his back and dragged him through the wreckage of the ship and tossed him into another smaller boat before rowing away.

Basil glanced back over his shoulder at the wreckage. There was a small island in view a few miles to the west. Perhaps his comrades had abandoned ship and made it to safety. But if that were the case, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of abandonment. He was never any good at making friends; quite the opposite, actually. But surely they wouldn’t have just left him for dead. Would they? No, most likely they just didn’t realize that he was alive. Maybe they thought he had been swept over the side of the railing by the waves or something. Whatever the case, they couldn’t help him now.

As the small boat approached a larger ship, Basil’s heart sank as his eyes fell upon the red sails. Of all the blasted luck. He had heard stories about _the Felicia_ and its captain for years, tales of deception and murder. Recalling them made him think that it might have been better for the pirates to have left him buried beneath the wreckage.

Soon he found himself being dragged onto the massive ship and thrown on the deck. As he fell on his knees, Basil grunted with pain and struggled to get up, but two pirates on either side held him down. By this point his blood was boiling at the frustrating situation he had gotten into, and he refused to go down without a fight. Basil bit one of the hands that held him, causing the pirate to cry out. Then the wind whooshed out of Basil’s lungs as the angry pirate’s fist slammed into his stomach, causing him to double over in pain, but he continued to struggle anyway. That is until he felt the cold steel of a blade against his throat. As the pressure increased and he was forced to tilt his head back, his eyes widened as he gazed up at his captor: Captain Padraic Ratigan. 

Basil quickly took in every detail of the rodent looming over him. He was even more fearsome in person than in the stories. He was a tall muscularly built rat with gray fur with a lighter color underbelly and long wild black hair tied behind his beck blowing in the soft breeze. Brown feathered plumes were stuck in the worn tricorn hat on his head, and he was dressed in a long black coat with tattered edges, a brown shirt and gloves, dark trousers, and black boots. A belt with a large golden buckle was slung across his chest holding a pistol and a spot for his cutlass. He certainly looked the part of a pirate right down to the gold earring in his left ear.

“Yer only wasting energy, lad,” the captain said as he pressed the tip of his sword even harder against Basil’s throat, almost breaking the skin. He grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth. “Something ya might need for later.”

Basil finally ceased struggling, and as the sword was removed he hung limp in the grasp of the two pirates holding his arms tightly, hanging his head as he panted tiredly trying to catch his breath. Pleased with his prisoner’s response, he turned to his first mate. “Any others, Lehmann?”

“No, sir,” Lehmann answered with a shake of his head, causing the red feathers in his hat to flutter. “The others either abandoned ship or perished in the wreck.”

“What a shame,” the pirate captain remarked sardonically. He turned back to Basil with a sigh. “It looks like my plan to lead _the Intrepid_ into the storm to be destroyed worked only too well. I was looking forward to a little chat with that annoying commodore, but we can never seem to meet properly. I suppose you’ll have to do. State your name, lad.”

When Basil remained silent in defiance, one of the mice holding him punched him in the mouth. “B-Basil,” he grunted, tasting blood seeping from his lip.

“Well, Mr. Basil,” said the pirate captain, “I’m gonna give ye the same two options I give all my prisoners of war. One, I’ll just spare us the trouble and send you to Davy Jones’ Locker now. Or two, you can join my crew. Swear allegiance to me and sail under my orders.”

Basil instantly recoiled at the thought. It was bad enough being bossed around by the likes of an asshole like Grayson, but to take orders from a pirate? “I’ll die before I join a filthy pirate like you,” Basil growled.

“The Locker it is then,” Ratigan replied with a shrug, removing his pistol and aiming at Basil’s head. “Such a waste though,” he added thoughtfully. “With that fighting spirit, you would have made an excellent pirate.”

As Basil braced himself for the shot that would end his life, a loud voice called from the crow’s nest. “Ship, ho!”

Ratigan rolled his eyes, lowering his pistol. “Where away, Mr. Smith?” he called.

“Two points off the starboard bow!”

Ratigan grinned widely, his greedy yellow eyes alight with the possibility of gaining another prize. “You’re in luck, lad,” he said, placing the pistol back in his belt. “Ye’ve caught me in a good mood, so it looks like you’ll live to see another day. Perhaps some time in the brig will give you time to change your mind. Take him below.”

The pirates hastened to do as their captain bid them. Minutes later, Basil was thrown face-first onto the floor down and a loud clang sounded behind him as they slammed the door to his cell shut. The two pirates snickered as Basil coughed weakly, struggling to sit up since his hands were still bound tightly behind his back. “Enjoy yer stay,” one remarked, causing his mate to laugh uproariously. Basil simply laid where he had fallen, closing his eyes and sighing in defeat.

However, as soon as the two pirates left, a smile crept across his face. Years ago, Basil had learned a technique to be able to escape if his hands were bound together. By holding his hands a certain way as they were tied, it allowed him enough room to be able to wiggle them free. It was a bit of a painful process as the rope chaffed through his fur and against his skin, but working carefully, he finally managed to slip out of them. As he rubbed the life back into his chaffed wrists, Basil examined the rusty lock on the door. He realized that it wouldn’t take long to pick, but he sat back down and leaned against the wall to rest. It would be easy to escape, but unwise at the moment. He would wait until the pirates above were occupied with engaging the enemy, and then in the heat of the battle he would try to get to the other ship.

Basil's chance came sooner than he expected. Soon the sounds of cannon fire could be heard overhead along with the shouts and battle cries of the crew. Basil leaped to his feet and in a couple of minutes had picked the lock by using the prong of his belt buckle, then quickly and quietly crept up the stairs. However, as Basil peeked up onto the deck, his heart pounded frantically. There was no battle. In fact, the other ship was passing right by them! As he caught a glance of the other crew and the Jolly Roger flying at the top of the mast, it was then that he realized what was happening. 

It was another pirate ship. Passing pirate captains sometimes greeted each other by firing their canons in a friendly gesture or salute. That would explain the canon fire earlier. But Basil had had no way of knowing they weren’t firing on an innocent ship because there was no way to see outside his cell. Basil muttered a curse under his breath, turning to go back to the brig before he was discovered. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until he felt someone grab him that he realized he’d already been found out.

“Oi, look what I found, mates!” the pirate, a huge mouse with rotten teeth and wearing a green striped shirt said, hauling a stunned Basil up by his shirt collar to the point where he was dangling in the air. With a laugh, he tossed the smaller mouse onto the deck where he landed with a painful grunt. Once again he was tackled and held firmly in place as the captain strode over to him.

“Looks like you finally escaped!” Ratigan chuckled. “Though I admit I expected it wouldn’t take quite so long,” he added, earning laughs from his crew. Basil growled in frustration, feeling his cheeks burning in embarrassment. “Now, back to business,” Ratigan said more seriously. “Have you considered my offer?”

Basil’s ears flattened against his head as he renewed his struggles. “I will never associate with murderous blackguards like you.”

Ratigan frowned, his hand straying to his sword again. “Ye’d best learn to guard your tongue, boy, before I cut it out and make you eat it.”

“Is that the best threat you could come up with?” Basil retorted with an insolent smirk. “What’s next, you’ll make me walk the plank?”

Ratigan’s patience was wearing thin, but he managed to hold his temper in check. “Y’know, the more I think about it,” Ratigan said irately, “the more I believe that death wouldn’t be a harsh enough sentence for the likes of an impudent cod like you. Therefore, I’m sentencing you to a lifetime of service before the mast. You will spend the rest of your miserable life on this ship, however short it may be.” Ratigan nodded at the pirates holding Basil, who began to drag him back down to the brig.

“No, you can’t do this!” Basil shouted.

“In fact, I can, and I will.”

“I won’t take orders from a bloody rat like you!”

There was an audible gasp among the crew, and they stared at Basil wide-eyed with mouths agape. No one dared to speak to their captain like that, not without horrific consequences. Ratigan stopped in his tracks, fists clenched by his sides.

“ _What_ did you call me?” he asked, his voice low and threatening.

Basil strained at his bonds as he spat out, “You’re nothing but a slimy, contemptible, flea-bitten, _bilge rat_!”


	3. Chapter 3

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Basil felt a stinging pain on his cheek as Ratigan backhanded him across the face, the force sending him flying backward and falling to the deck as the two pirates holding his arms had released him to avoid getting in the way of their captain's wrath. Basil didn't even have a chance to recover when he felt his body lift off the floor and slam against the mainmast. He gasped as Ratigan’s grip around his neck tightened, cutting off his airway. He tried to kick at the pirate captain as he dangled in the air but stopped when he was slammed into the mast again. 

“I…am NOT… a rat!” Ratigan growled, shaking Basil with each word for emphasis. 

If he weren’t choking, Basil might have laughed. There was obviously no doubt that this rodent was a "rat" in every sense of the word. However, he wisely dropped the matter before he found himself in deeper trouble than he already was. “M-My mistake,” Basil grunted, struggling to get just a small breath.

“Aye, and ye’d best not be makin’ it twice!” Ratigan threatened, his sharp claws nearly cutting into Basil’s skin as he tightened his grip even more. “Quartermaster,” he added, addressing a big brutish mouse that was nearly a head taller than Basil.

“Aye, Cap’n?”

“I think it’s time we teach this cheeky mouse some manners.”

The huge mouse grinned, exposing nasty rotting teeth. “To the brig?”

“Nay.” Puzzled, Basil glanced up at Ratigan but didn’t like the smug grin he saw directed towards him. “It’s obvious the lad don’t like it down there,” Ratigan remarked, “so we’ll grant him his wish an’ let him remain up here. We’ll even give ‘im a bird’s eye view of the ship, let 'im see how we run things around here.” The smile faded, and Basil’s heart pounded as he awaited his sentence. “Tie ‘im up on the mainmast. No food or water for three days.”

“Aye, sir,” was the quartermaster’s reply before a blow struck Basil on the back of the head, causing him to instantly lose consciousness. When he came to, Basil found his hands bound together behind him along with a rope wrapped around his waist tying him to the mast several meters above the deck. He pulled at his bonds but soon found it was a useless effort. _Perfect_ , Basil thought to himself, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Looking down from his perch, he had a perfect view of all the activities below as the crew hastened to carry out their duties. As he carefully observed all the crew members as they worked, he recognized the ones who had first captured him and learned their names. The pirate who wore a striped shirt and purple bandana was called Tom or Tommy. He was a thin, gangly mouse who wielded a knife expertly. He was almost always seen with the short stocky mouse named Jones. Though they bickered to no end, it seemed as if they were close friends.

The bat with the peg leg was named Fidget. As his name suggested, he was a shifty, sly sort of fellow with a wicked laugh and cruel smile and a harsh throaty voice. He was also deathly afraid of heights as a result of a crippled wing, leaving him unable to fly. The green lizard was Bill, or “Bootstrap Bill” as some called him because of the large boots he wore with bright shiny buckles. He was an excellent climber and was often seen scurrying up the ratlines and among the rigging. Lefty, who apparently earned this nickname as a result of the hook replacing his missing left hand, was not very bright but was sturdily built and carried out a lot of the grunt work. He also enjoyed recounting stories and legends of all sorts, particularly anything dealing with great treasures.

Of course, there were many others who made up the crew of this fiend, but as the sun climbed higher in the sky, Basil found it more and more difficult to concentrate. He found his mind wandering. Less than twenty-four hours ago he had been swabbing the deck of _the Intrepid_ , Mousedom’s finest naval vessel. Now the ship was destroyed, most of the crew dead or missing, and he was a prisoner of the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean. How on earth had he gotten into this mess?

 _Because you can’t keep your stupid mouth shut. That’s why,_ he berated himself harshly. And now, unfortunately, he was paying the price for it. From this high position up on the mast, Basi was entirely exposed to the sun’s rays with no refuge from the heat. Sweat dripped from his brow beneath his turquoise headband and into his eyes. He strained his neck trying to wipe his face on his shoulder but winced as the rope fibers binding him in place cut into his skin.

The next day was even worse. By now he was feeling the effects of not eating, such as a mind-numbing headache and growling stomach, along with a parched tongue and sore throat from the thirst. How he longed for a drink of water. He searched for any dark clouds on the horizon hoping to see a sign of rain, but no such luck. At least occasionally a passing cloud would block out the sun for a few minutes, giving him a little shade. He no longer fought against his bonds as it only drained him of strength.

By the end of the third day, Basil was so weak he could barely support himself. Instead, he sagged against the mast, held up only by the ropes tying him in place. Down on the deck, the first mate Ray Lehmann surveyed the crew as they worked, pausing briefly to remove his red-feathered hat to wipe the sweat with the back of his gloved hand. “Hotter than Hades, isn’t it?” came the Captain’s voice behind him.

“Aye,” the Danish mouse agreed, though he felt the fur on the back of his neck stand on end, unnerved by how Ratigan always seemed to sneak up on him like that. Hearing a small moan up above them, Ray glanced up toward the source of the noise, seeing Basil slumped against the mast.

“Heh, heh, almost forgot about him,” Ratigan chuckled in amusement.

Though he didn’t dare say anything, Ray couldn’t help feeling a small bit of sympathy for the new “recruit.” After all, he had suffered at the hands of Ratigan himself. More times than he cared to count. But Ray quickly shook his head to dispel the thought. That kind of thinking would get you in trouble around here. Besides, the mouse had only brought this upon himself. Although Ray was curious about one thing. “Beg pardon, Captain,” Ray said, daring to broach the subject, “but what’s the use in keeping him?”

Ratigan smiled darkly, glancing over his shoulder at the first mate. “Questioning my decisions, Lehmann?”

“O-Of course not, sir,” Ray quickly but respectfully answered. “I only know that you don’t recruit just anybody into your crew. And this one seems like he’ll be more trouble than he’s worth,” he added, inclining his head towards Basil.

“He just needs to be tamed, is all,” Ratigan shrugged. “Once he learns his place, he’ll be a valuable asset. It may take a bit of… persuasion,” Ratigan grinned, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth, "but he’ll come over to our side. After all,” Ratigan added before walking back to the helm, "you did.” The red mouse stood still without saying a word, not facing the captain. "Now get him down so we can make him a part of the family."

Ray knew what was about to happen, but he was glad to have something else to occupy his mind. He called Bill over to help him in getting Basil down. The poor mouse had no strength left to even attempt to fight. Bootstrap and Tommy had to practically drag Basil to the Captain’s cabin as Ray followed behind.

As they entered, Ratigan stood in one corner of the room, prodding at the fire in a little stove with a poker. "Did ya enjoy it up there?" he asked his prisoner with a sly smirk. Basil didn't have the energy to answer. The only reason he was even able to stand was because of the two pirates holding him up by his arms. "You’ll have to get used to the view of the ship,” Ratigan continued, “because yer gonna live here the rest of your life."

Basil summoned the strength to lift his head so he could glare at the rat. "I told you before, I will never join your crew!"

"You no longer have a choice in the matter,” Ratigan hissed. “I am your captain now, and you will follow my orders. You belong to _me_."

"Belong to you?” Basil repeated, seething with anger. “I'm not some kind of pet or trophy, and you shall not treat me like one!"

"So true, so true. But you are still a part of my property now.” Ratigan picked up another poker, the end of which burned a bright red and was shaped like the letter R. “I only have to prove it." 

Basil’s eyes grew wide with horror as he realized the rat’s intentions and renewed his struggles to get out of the pirates' grip. "Now, where to place it?" Ratigan asked, mostly to himself. Basil swung his hand up in his struggles trying to strike at the rat, but Ratigan easily grasped it in midair. "Here? As you wish." He slammed Basil's hand onto the table with his palm facing upward, then pressed the tip of the poker against Basil’s wrist, burning the letter R into his skin.

He had tried to brace himself, but the searing pain still caused Basil to let out a hoarse scream. He fell to his knees with an agonized groan, eyes squeezed shut so tightly that tears formed. Though the brand only touched him for a few seconds, the pain didn’t subside even after it was removed. Once the pirates finally released him, he doubled over in pain and clutched his arm tightly, though not daring to touch the actual wound. He was almost thankful that his stomach was empty because of the nauseating smell of burnt fur and flesh. Even Ray and the others had to look away from the sight.

“As I was saying,” Ratigan remarked, all humor gone from his voice as he glared down at his prisoner, who was trembling from the shock. “I am your captain, and you _will_ show me respect. Insubordination is something I will not tolerate on my ship, so I suggest y' learn to hold your tongue and do as yer told.” Basil grunted in pain as Ratigan grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked his head up to look at him face to face. “Savvy?”

Although he hated to admit it, Basil realized that any further resistance was futile, and he had no choice but to surrender. But he swore to himself that someday, somehow, he would make that rat pay. It took him a few moments to catch his breath, but he finally muttered a weak response. “A-Aye.”

“Aye…?” Ratigan prodded expectantly, gripping Basil’s chin with a claw.

Closing his eyes in humiliation, Basil obediently answered. “Aye… captain.”


	4. Chapter 4

Basil didn’t remember much after they threw him back in the brig, only that he must have passed out from the pain and exhaustion. When he awoke the next morning, he was thankful to find that the pain in his arm had lessened from a sharp excruciating pain to a dull throb. The sight of the bloody “R” burned through his fur and into his skin still nauseated him not only because of the wound itself but also because of what it stood for. Branded like livestock. Now even if he did manage to escape, anyone who saw the mark would know who he belonged to.

Basil shook his head and sighed wearily, leaning back against the bars of his cell. But then another smell caught his attention. To his surprise, Basil found a piece of bread and a cup of water near the door. True, it was a bit stale, but at this point, he didn’t care. He quickly snatched up the food and drink, downing the whole thing in seconds. No sooner had he finished his tiny meal when the sound of footsteps reached his ears, and soon he was being half-dragged up the steps and onto the deck and was put to work with the rest of the crew. Luckily he knew what to do since he’d sailed in the navy already.

However, as the weeks passed by, Basil found out that serving on a pirate crew turned out to be a bit more difficult than he anticipated. But he found that as long as he kept quiet and did his work well, he would stay out of trouble. 

Basil was a solitary mouse, so he kept mostly to himself. But as he worked with the crew, he began to learn more about them. He stayed away from Fidget mostly because the creepy little bat made him uneasy, as well as Tommy and Jones, whose incessant arguing grated on his nerves. Bootstrap Bill was usually scurrying up the rigging or up in the crow’s nest, so Basil didn’t come into contact with the lizard often. The only one whose company he didn’t really mind was the helmsman, Justin, a young lad who to Basil’s surprise actually seemed to admire and look up to Ratigan.

Basil rarely interacted with the captain himself, which he considered a blessing. Ratigan had refused to let Basil have a sword or knife yet as he didn’t trust him, and certainly not a pistol. Basil didn’t blame him because if he had a blade, he wouldn’t hesitate to slip it between Ratigan’s ribs while he was sleeping or put a bullet in his brain.

One day Basil was swabbing the deck for the umpteenth time, his hands and knees rubbed raw from crawling about all day. He paused briefly and straightened his back, wincing as it cracked loudly.

“Missed a spot.” Basil glared up at the source of the voice. It belonged to the first mate, who was reclining with his back against the mast, his feathered hat pulled down low, but not low enough to hide the smirk on his face. Basil muttered something under his breath, causing Ray to lift the hat and open his eye. “What was that?” the Dane asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Basil didn’t attempt to hide the sarcasm in his voice as he replied, “I said you must have amazing vision in that one eye of yours because I’ve scrubbed every inch of this hunk of wood— hey!” He had to jump back to avoid being hit with a wad of spit Ray directed toward him.

“Like I said, cabin boy,” Ray sneered, “You missed a spot.”

Enraged, Basil grabbed the nearest thing to him— which happened to be the filthy rag he was using to scrub the deck— wadded it up into a ball, and threw it with all his might at Ray’s head. Unfortunately, the mouse had settled back against the mast and pulled the hat back over his face, so he didn’t see the missile coming. Basil gave a satisfied smile as the rag thwacked against the side of Ray’s head, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall from his perch.

Enraged, Ray leaped down to the deck with a growl. “You’ll pay for that!” he yelled, drawing his sword as he sprang at Basil. Since Ratigan had confiscated his weapons, Basil had to resort to grabbing the mop to defend himself. As Ray swiped down at his head, Basil used the handle of the mop to block, grunting as his hands stung from the impact of steel against wood. He jumped back as Ray swiped again, barely missing him, then swung the mop at Ray’s head. The mouse ducked just in the nick of time and struck at Basil’s leg, causing him to give out a sharp cry as the blade nicked his calf. Ray smiled darkly and continued his assault, driving Basil back.

However, Basil finally got a hit in and grinned as the mop handle made contact with Ray’s jaw. Temporarily stunned, Ray didn’t see it coming as Basil jabbed the mop into his ribs, causing the breath to whoosh out of him. He staggered backward a little bit and recovered just as Basil swung the mop at his head again, bringing his sword up to block. As he countered the blow, the force behind it caused his sword to cut clean through Basil’s mop, leaving two halves in his hand. Basil jumped as Ray swiped at him again, rolling forward and landing in front of Fidget, who yelped in surprise. As Ray ran at him, Basil quickly grabbed the stunned bat’s sword from his belt and blocked Ray’s attack. Fidget backed away nervously before running away, his peg leg clonking loudly against the deck.

By now the rest of the crew had gathered around to watch the fight, laughing and cheering the two opponents on, even placing bets on who they thought would win.

“Get the little runt, Lehmann!”

“Poke ‘is other eye out!”

“Cleave ‘im to the brisket!”

The two mice fought relentlessly, grunting and panting with effort as their weapons clashed together. Now that he was better equipped for the fight, Basil found it easier to parry Ray’s attacks, and he turned out to be quite the opponent for the Dane. However, Ray was the more experienced swordsmouse. Basil leaped back to avoid having his stomach sliced open but unfortunately tripped over a coil of rope and fell down hard. Before he could recover, Ray kicked his sword away and pointed his own at Basil’s chest. “Looks like I win,” Ray said, a dark grin crossing his face as he pressed the blade closer to his heart.

Basil glared up at the first mate, gritting his teeth in aggravation before lowering his head in embarrassment. But a sudden idea struck as his gaze fell on the bucket of dirty soap water he had been using to swab the deck. With a movement quick as lightning, he snatched the bucket up and threw the contents into Ray’s face.

“Agh!” Completely caught off guard, Ray spluttered and choked, clasping a paw over his good eye as it burned from the soap. With his opponent temporarily blinded, Basil quickly took advantage of the distraction and hit Ray’s sword out of his hand, catching it deftly in the air with his other hand. Hissing in pain, Ray stumbled backward and fell down hard on his back. When he opened his eye, his mouth fell open in shock as he saw Basil holding both swords crossed at his throat, pinning him down.

“Think again, mate,” Basil replied with a smirk.

Hearing the row outside, the captain, who had been trying to concentrate on charting a course, finally emerged from his cabin to see what all the commotion was about. "What the blazes is going on out here?!" Ratigan growled.

"Lehmann is losing to the cabin-boy," someone from the crew piped up, causing the others to laugh.

" _Hold kæft_!" Ray shouted back angrily.

"Is that so?" Ratigan asked, arching one eyebrow. The first mate's face turned even more red in embarrassment. "You know very well that I don't want fights on my ship and that it's punished by what my mood now is to," the captain said looking seriously into the first-mate silver-grey eye.

"But-" Ray tried to defend himself.

"Is that understood, Lehmann?"

Flattening his ears against his head, Ray humbly replied, "Aye, captain."

“And you,” Ratigan said, turning to Basil. “Stirring up trouble again? I thought you would have learned your lesson by now, boy.”

Basil shook his head irately, pointing one sword at the first mate. “But he started-!”

“I don’t care who started it, I’ll bloody well finish it!” the rat yelled, snatching Basil by his shirt collar and swiftly relieving him of both swords before he could use them again. "Now, all of you, back to work!" he shouted, shoving Basil forward. The crew hastily did as commanded, leaving the rat and red-furred mouse alone. "Heh heh, maybe I should reconsider my crew when my first mate loses to the cabin boy,” Ratigan chuckled, tossing Ray’s sword at his feet before going back to his cabin.

Feeling his cheeks still burning in embarrassment from being completely humiliated in front of the crew, Ray retrieved his sword and placed it back in his belt. As he knelt down to pick up his hat, he glanced back at Basil, who was back on his hands and knees taking his frustrations out by scrubbing the floor vigorously with the rag. Ray reluctantly admitted he had underestimated the mouse, who now posed a threat to his position; the only thing Ray had left. He would have to keep a closer eye on this one.

“This isn’t over yet, cabin boy,” Ray growled as he passed by Basil on the way to the helm. Basil glared back, his emerald eyes staring up into Ray’s steel gray one. When Ray was gone, he sighed in frustration. The last thing he needed right now was another rival. Now he feared he had two enemies instead of one, which would make escape even more difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justin the helmsmouse is an OC belonging to ProfessorRatiganFan on deviantART and was used with his permission.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for painful torture and a death in this chapter.

As the weeks progressed, Basil slowly became more accustomed to his new life aboard _the Felicia_. After the branding, he had grown quieter and kept mostly to himself. If he had to speak with one of the crew, it was with as few words as possible. He especially made sure to stay clear of the first mate. He’d already had one skirmish with the one-eyed mouse and wasn’t eager for another.

No matter what he was doing, whether hoisting the sails or climbing up the rigging or swabbing the deck, Basil felt the captain watching his every move. Even if the rat wasn’t actually present on deck, Basil kept himself in check to make sure he didn’t screw anything else up. He wasn’t about to put himself in another compromising position. One thing that surprised Basil though was that a few days after his fight with Ray, Ratigan presented him with a dagger. “I don’t trust ya enough with a pistol or cutlass just yet,” Ratigan remarked with a wink, “so a simple blade will do for now. Ya clearly know how to use one, and you'll have to defend yourself someday.”

Ironically, a few hours later they came across another pirate ship and the crew hastily prepared for the impending fight. However, after sailing a bit closer, the ship appeared to be deserted, though it was clear that it had been attacked recently. After questioning the helmsmouse, the lone survivor of the attack, it was clear to the captain just who the culprit was. Fane cel Rau. Ratigan mumbled the name with a combination of respect and loathing. Basil had no idea who this Fane character was, but from Ratigan’s reaction, they must have had some animosity between them. Once he had gleaned all the information he could, Ratigan gave the order to toss the mouse overboard as he had no further use for him.

“N-No, wait!” the pirate cried desperately, struggling in his bonds. “I-I know where his hideout is!”

Ratigan paused, looking over his shoulder at the mouse with a glare. “What was that?”

“F-Fane’s hideout,” the mouse stammered. “I-I-I know wh-where it is.”

“Do ye now?” Ratigan asked with a laugh. However, the smile disappeared in a flash as he whirled around and grabbed the mouse by his shirt collar, hauling him up to his feet and holding a claw under his chin. “Ye’d best be tellin’ the truth, mate. I’d hate for ya to see what happens when someone upsets me.”

The mouse shook his head frantically. “No. I-I mean, y-yes. I mean, I swear I’m t-tellin’ the truth!”

“Then quit yer blubberin’ and out with it!” Ratigan shouted.

The mouse hesitated. “If I tell ya, w-will ya let me go?”

“I got a much more better offer,” Ratigan replied with a sadistic smile. “Tell me now, and I’ll spare yer pathetic life.”

The unfortunate mouse gulped nervously but shook his head. “N-no, I won’t tell unless ya promise to let me go.”

Ratigan chuckled, revealing those sharp teeth. “Ye drive a hard bargain, mate. But no deal. Mr. Basil?”

Basil nearly jumped in surprise when he was called upon. “Aye, sir?” he answered, stepping forward.

“Now’s the chance to make a real pirate out of you.” Fidget hobbled over and handed Ratigan a bag, from which Ratigan drew out a cat o’ nine tails. To Basil’s shock, Ratigan held the handle of the whip out to him.

“Perhaps a few lashes will loosen up his tongue.”

Basil looked from Ratigan to the pirate, who by now was quivering in fear. “What? N-No!” Basil said, taking a step back and looking at the whip in horror as if it were a snake. “I won’t harm an innocent and unarmed mouse!"

"Innocent?" Ratigan scoffed, gesturing at the captured mouse. "He's a pirate! You think he would show the same pity for you?” Basil didn’t answer. In his short time with pirates, he knew just how vicious and unmerciful they could be. “Now, Basil,” Ratigan said, his voice taking on a threatening tone, “you of all people know the price for disobeying me. So unless you want to take his place…”

Ratigan didn’t have to finish the sentence for Basil to know what would happen. Yet when Ratigan held the whip out again, Basil still shook his head. He couldn’t live with himself for torturing someone like that. “No, I... I won’t do it.”

There was almost an audible gasp from the crew. No one in their right mind would outright refuse to obey the Captain’s orders. Ratigan clenched his fists together in frustration. It looked like he still had a thing or two to teach this insolent mouse. But he had broken mice before. This one would be no different.

"Alright then." Ratigan turned to the captured pirate, who flinched as Ratigan swiftly cut the ropes binding his wrists together. He was even more shocked when Ratigan placed the knife in his hands. However, the Captain explained as he pointed at Basil. “Kill him, and I'll let you go free.”

Basil barely had time to draw his own knife to defend himself before the pirate was upon him, barely missing his stomach as he slashed at Basil’s torso. They circled for a moment, watching to see what the other would do. Basil didn’t want to hurt the mouse, so he wouldn’t make the first move. He just waited, watching the pirate, who stared at him with wild frightened eyes, clutching the knife tightly in his trembling hand and clenching his teeth together in a feral snarl. Basil knew that look all too well. Even if he was a pirate, the mouse was terrified and desperate; a dangerous combination in a fighting situation like this.

However, as the fight progressed, the pirate's nervousness caused him to make more mistakes, and soon Basil had flicked the knife out of his hand with his own blade. However, the mouse made a desperate lunge at Basil and tackled him, causing him to fall backward onto the deck with the pirate on top of him. Basil grunted as he struggled to get free and finally was able to roll the mouse off of him. Basil had lost his dagger in the scuffle, but he was swiftly back up on his feet ready to defend himself, balling his hands up into fists. However, the mouse didn’t rise and lay perfectly still.

It was then that Basil noticed the red staining his hands and clothes.

Ratigan strode over and prodded the fallen mouse with his foot, rolling him onto this back. His eyes stared unseeing up into the sky, his hands clutching the knife buried deep in his chest. Basil stared down at his shaking bloodstained hands. He’d never killed a mouse before. Sure, he’d fought in battles during his time in the navy, but Commodore Grayson had usually ordered him below to stay out of the way or to keep out of trouble. Never had he killed someone with his bare hands.

The Captain chuckled darkly, causing Basil to flinch as he felt his gloved hand on his shoulder. "How does it feel,” Ratigan hissed close to Basil’s ear, “holding life and death in the palm of your hands… pirate?"

By now the shock of the incident was setting in. Basil’s whole body trembled, his breath coming in short gasps, and he felt as if he were going to be physically sick. “No,” he gasped, glancing back and forth from the body to his hands frantically. “N-No, I… I-I didn’t mean to. It was an accident!”

“Nevertheless, the cat's out of the bag, Mr. Basil,” Ratigan replied with a dark look, causing Basil to back away slowly as he uncoiled the whip. “You’ve just robbed me of a possible link to finding my most hated enemy. And if you had simply followed my orders to begin with, none of this would have happened.”

At a nod from the Captain, two crew members grabbed Basil and pushed him forward against the mast. Basil, still too shocked to react, couldn’t find the will to fight as they bound his hands above his head. He shivered when he felt the cool evening air on his fur as they ripped the back of his shirt open, exposing his bare back.

“You’ve brought this on your own head, boy,” Ratigan remarked, “so you’ll pay the consequences.” As Ratigan lifted the whip high, Basil braced himself, but nothing happened. He chanced a glance over his shoulder and was surprised to see that Ray had stepped between him and Ratigan. “Out of the way,” the captain growled, “unless you want to share his fate!”

“Captain,” Ray dared to reply, standing his ground, “this is too much. You’re going to break him beyond repair—”

“That’s an order!” Ray cringed at the outburst and finally retreated back a few steps. But instead of bringing the whip down as expected, Ratigan chuckled darkly and turned back to his first mate. “Maybe _you_ should teach him a lesson, Lehmann. You know, be a good example.” Ratigan then put the whip in Ray’s hand.

“B-But sir—!”

“Whip, or be whipped,” Ratigan threatened.

Ray looked at Basil, who had turned back around and hung his head, shoulders tensed as he braced himself for the blow. Ray hesitated one moment more, knowing the pain of the lash all too well and hating himself for dealing out such punishment to another mouse. But he set his jaw determinedly, gripping the stock of the whip tightly as he brought it down across Basil’s back. The first two strokes Basil took in silence, biting his lip to keep from crying out. He didn’t want to give that rat the satisfaction. However, by the fifth lash, he was grunting and groaning in pain and felt his legs begin to give out from beneath him.

 _Six_... Basil thought Ray must be enjoying his revenge, although if he could have seen the Dane’s expression, he would have known that wasn’t the case.

 _Seven_... He deserved this anyway. Killer. Murderer. _Pirate._

 _Eight_... By now Basil was crying out in agony, each stroke more excruciating than the last. By the time the dozen lashes were dealt out, it felt as if his flesh was on fire. When it was over Ray was trembling himself, panting from the effort. He turned away from the scene, disgusted with himself for the part he had to play.

When they freed him, Basil sank to his knees with a strained groan, shuddering as he felt blood running down his back. He flinched when Ratigan walked near him. “That’s two strikes, boy,” the captain warned. “Don’t test me again.” Basil was too weak to even reply, so he simply nodded his head in defeat. “Get this thing off my ship,” Ratigan instructed the crew, inclining his head at the dead mouse lying on the deck.

Basil didn’t dare watch as the body was tossed overboard. Once it was done, the crew dispersed and finished the few tasks remaining before turning in for the night. Basil tried to get up, but as soon as he made a major movement pain hit, causing him to choke back a groan as he arched his back in pain. No one reprimanded him, so he just sat there for a while leaning against the mast while the scene replayed itself over and over in his mind, the guilt of what he had done eating him alive.

A while later, after making sure everything was secure for the night, Ray returned above deck for some air as well as check on Basil to ease his guilty conscience. What he saw made him feel even worse. It looked like Basil had found the strength to get to his feet, but he had only made it a few steps to the side of the ship where he was vomiting over the railing.

Basil groaned as he sagged against the railing and closed his eyes, trying to block out the sight of those dead eyes. And the blood, all that blood, still staining his hands and shirt. He felt so dirty, contaminated…

Basil tensed as he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. _Just leave me in peace,_ he thought tiredly, expecting to see Ratigan coming to gloat or something. Instead, he looked up to see Ray, who averted his eyes when Basil glared at him. They stood in silence for some time staring out over the waves, each mouse lost in his own thoughts. Ray glanced at the mouse beside him out of the corner of his eye, trying to decide what to say if anything at all. 

“I know you won’t believe me,” he finally remarked quietly, “but I’m sorry. I truly am.” Basil didn’t even acknowledge the Danish mouse’s presence. “Basil—” Ray prodded.

“I don’t need your apology,” Basil hissed, turning away but wincing in pain when he moved too quickly. He stumbled and nearly fell to his knees, but Ray quickly reached out and caught him.

“Here, let me help you,” Ray said, placing his hands under Basil’s arm to support him, but Basil pushed him away.

“D-Don’t you think you’ve… ngh, d-done enough?” Basil replied through gritted teeth, his nails digging into the wood grain as he tried not to groan.

Ray’s ears lowered and he turned away, unable to look at the damage he had caused. “Just trying to help,” he muttered.

“I said I don’t need your bloody help!” Basil retorted angrily. “Besides,” he said more quietly. “I deserve to suffer. I’m a murderer.”

“You were defending yourself,” Ray gently replied. “That's the life of a pirate. The basic instinct to survive. It's either kill or be killed."

“Whip, or be whipped,” Basil muttered, quoting Ratigan.

Ray stiffened, clutching the railing in his hands. “You know as well as I do what the captain will do when you refuse to follow orders. It took me years to get on his good side, and I’ll not compromise my position.”

“So why did you even bother to stand up to him in the first place?”

“I just…” _I don’t want to see him break another mouse like he did me._ “I-I know from experience that the captain takes pleasure in stripping flesh from bone.”

“So I’m supposed to be grateful to you for giving me the lesser beating, is that it?”

Ray didn’t know how to respond. “I-It was your own fault!” he stuttered. “You didn't obey, so you pay the price!"

"My fault?!” Basil growled indignantly. “Just because you chose to be a pirate doesn't mean that I'll do the same! What do you know about being forced to do things that is against your nature?!" Before he said or did anything to get himself in more trouble, Basil retreated below deck.

"More than you think," Ray replied quietly after he had gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Days later, Basil was still having nightmares about the pirate he killed. He couldn’t shut his eyes without seeing the dead mouse staring up at him blankly, clutching the bloody knife buried deep in his chest. Even in his waking moments doing his work around the ship, the mouse haunted his thoughts. On top of that, his back was killing him. Instead of healing, the burning pain only grew worse each day. He couldn’t reach the wounds himself; and besides, he had nothing with which to try to clean them or to bandage them. All he had to his name was the now tattered clothes on his back and shoes on his feet. He tried to bear the pain as best he could or even ignore it altogether, but it was beginning to affect his performance in carrying out his duties on the ship.

The last straw came while he was helping another mouse push one of the heavy cannons across the deck. As he strained against the weight of the canon, the movement made the pain suddenly flare up in his back, causing him to collapse onto his hands and knees with a groan. Without his support, the cannon rolled onto the other mouse’s foot, who yelped in pain and hopped around on one foot for a few moments. It might have been a comical sight if the mouse hadn’t hobbled back over to Basil and roughly hauled him to his feet by the scruff of his neck. “I’ll teach you, you pathetic whelp!” the mouse growled, pulling his fist back to strike Basil. He didn’t even attempt to defend himself this time since all it seemed to do was get him into more trouble, and he only braced himself for the blow.

Luckily Ray had seen all this and hastily intervened. “ _Det er nok_!” he shouted, causing the mouse to drop Basil once he realized he’d been caught. “Mr. Flynn, you have no authority on this ship, so you will leave the disciplining to me and the captain. Understood?”

“Aye, sir,” Flynn replied sullenly.

“Good. Then get back to work!” Flynn threw one last glare at Basil before returning to his task. Basil also rose shakily to his feet, wincing as he did so. Ray watched as he staggered forward, growing concerned as he spotted the wounds through Basil’s tattered shirt. “You, come with me,” Ray instructed.

“A-Aye, sir,” Basil replied tiredly, wondering what his punishment would be this time. He followed the first mate down the stairs to his private cabin, which was smaller than the captain’s but still nicer than the space below deck where the rest of the crew slept in hammocks side by side. One small bed sat against one wall along with a hammock hanging in the corner. The other furniture consisted of a side table, a desk and chair, some chests, and shelves of books and charts. As they entered, Basil gulped as Ray closed the door behind them. He stood at attention, not willing to show any fear, though he dreaded whatever was coming to him.

“Have a seat,” Ray instructed, gesturing toward the bed. Basil hesitated briefly but did as he was told and sat at the foot of the bed, leaning forward slightly so he wouldn’t get any blood on the sheets. He watched in confusion as Ray went over to one of the chests and took out a bottle of rum and some white linen. Basil tensed up and closed his eyes as Ray sat down beside him. The first mate grimaced as he saw the wounds up close. They were definitely infected. He carefully pulled the remains of Basil’s tattered shirt away from the cuts, causing Basil to flinch. Ray felt a pang of guilt as he noticed Basil was shivering.

“It’s alright,” Ray remarked quietly, putting a hand on Basil’s shoulder. “This will sting, but I promise it will help.” Confused, Basil glanced over his shoulder to see Ray open the bottle of rum and then realized what he was about to do. He gritted his teeth and clutched the side of the bed tightly, bracing himself. When Ray poured the rum out, Basil hissed in pain as the alcohol made contact with his wounds. Ray carefully cleaned the cuts as best he could with the few materials he had, trying to at least stop the bleeding.

“Why do you insist on helping me?” Basil suddenly asked as he lifted his arms while Ray began to wrap a bandage around his torso.

"It's my job to look after the security and welfare on the ship," Ray replied with a shrug.

Basil couldn’t help a small chuckle as he thought of all that had happened to him since he’d come on the ship. "You're not exactly the best for that job," Basil said, turning his head back to face the first mate with a sarcastic smile that Ray returned.

“That will do for now,” Ray remarked as he finished tying the last of the bandages. He shook his head with a sigh. “We really need a ship’s doctor. Anyone hurt in battle ends up like Lefty or Fidget, and if anyone falls ill, there’s not much we can do to cure them.”

“You could ask the captain about it,” Basil said.

“It won’t do much good, I’m afraid. Once the captain charts a course to his goal, it’s impossible to change his mind. But I suppose it won’t hurt to mention it.”

By now Ray's shirt was covered in Basil's blood, so he went over to a chest on the other side of the room to get a clean one. As the Danish mouse removed his shirt, Basil’s mouth fell open at what he saw. Scars covered the red mouse’s back, and not just a few either. Scores of deep jagged stripes across his back and shoulders- whiplashes like Basil’s. He really was telling the truth when he said he knew from experience that the captain took pleasure in the punishments he dealt out. It was then that Basil realized that Ray really had saved him from worse pain, and he felt incredibly guilty that he had been so hostile when Ray was really only trying to help. "Thank you," he finally said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Ray replied in surprise, glancing over his shoulder without turning around. When he saw Basil’s face, it caused him to briefly think of his own past, how he came to be on the ship. After changing into another shirt, Ray sat back down beside Basil, taking a big drink from the bottle of rum he had used to clean Basil’s wounds. He passed the bottle to Basil too, but he declined at first, not wanting to just drink his worries away. "It cures more than wounds," Ray replied. Basil finally took a small sip and gave it back to Ray, his throat burning from the strong drink. However, Ray took another large swig.

Basil shook his head as he recalled those scars, thinking of what Ray must have suffered through over the years. “I thought I had a lot of scars, but not after seeing you,” he remarked.

Ray, already a tad bit drunk, chuckled in response. “Heh, if you think that’s bad, then you should see the captain." He put the bottle to his mouth again, not noticing the look of shock on Basil’s face.

"What?"

Ray choked as the rum almost went down the wrong pipe. He shouldn't have said that. He hastily clapped a hand over Basil's mouth and glanced about furtively, afraid someone had overheard. After taking a look outside the door to make sure nobody was listening, Ray lowered his voice as he explained to Basil.

“I’ve had to patch up the Captain several times after a battle; that is when he’ll let me. So I’ve seen his own scars. Years ago, I overheard Ratigan speaking with Oliver Loran- erm, the first mate before me- in his cabin. I don’t know if he was drunk or what caused him to speak of such things, but the captain talked about his past when he was a part of Fane cel Rau’s crew. Fane wanted to break Ratigan and nearly tortured him to death to do so. When he finally escaped from Fane, he got his own ship and crew and made a name for himself. Since he always has been number two and finally now is a captain, he wants to make sure nobody gets a higher rank than he, and he does that with fear.”

Basil sat quietly for several minutes as that information sank in. It made sense. But this only made him wonder about the Captain even more. There was definitely more to him than met the eye. “Who is this Fane cel Rau anyway?” Basil asked curiously.

Ray actually laughed in response. “You mean you’ve never heard of him?” Basil shook his head. “He’s only the most feared pirate in the world,” Ray replied with a dramatic shrug. “He sails a cursed ship called _the Persephone_ , although no one's quite sure if it's the ship that's cursed or just the crew. Rumor is he captains a crew of undead sailors and drinks the blood of his victims.”

“Sounds like nothing more than a ghost story to me,” Basil replied skeptically, though he couldn’t help feeling shivers run down his spine.

“Oh, he’s real,” Ray replied, taking another swig of rum. “We’ve run across him once or twice. First time was before I was here. Fane took Ratigan’s first crew and ship and threw him into the ocean, leaving him for dead. No one quite knows for sure how he survived that, but Fidget found him the next day washed up on shore. The second time he took Loran and several others prisoner, and we never saw them again.” Ray went to take another drink, but Basil quickly took it out of his hand.

“I think you’ve had quite enough.”

At first, Ray scowled angrily, but then he simply shrugged his shoulders again. “Eh, I guess you’re right.” Going back to the trunk of clothes, Ray took out another shirt and tossed it to Basil. “We better get back to work, or we’ll both be in trouble.”

Basil nodded, carefully pulling the shirt over his head. “Thanks again, sir,” Basil remarked as he stood to leave, grateful for all the first mate had done for him.

The Dane chuckled. “No need to be so formal. Ray or Lehmann is fine.”

Basil returned the smile. “Right… Ray.”


	7. Chapter 7

The long days continued to pass on _the Felicia_. Basil hadn’t seen land in weeks, and he had no clue where they were. There was nothing but the sea stretching infinitely in all directions. They hadn’t come upon a ship in days, and he wondered just what their goal was.

As he mopped the floor at the stern, Basil made sure to stay clear of Ratigan, who stood beside Justin, the helmsmouse. Basil noticed that the young red-haired mouse was gripping the steering wheel tightly in his hands and seemed to be almost trembling. “Easy, lad,” Ratigan said, placing a gloved hand on Justin’s shoulder, who responded by nodding quickly before gulping. In fact, it seemed that the entire crew was getting nervous about something. It could have been because of the thick fog that seemed to spring up out of nowhere, but they had sailed through worse before. Seeing Ray standing near the rudder of the ship, Basil eased his way over and quietly asked him why the crew was so anxious.

"We are close to Fane cel Rau's territory," Ray replied solemnly. Basil remembered all the bad things he was told about the pirate and understood their fear, though he still believed the rumors about the undead crew and drinking their victims’ blood to be superstitious nonsense.

"What are we doing here?" 

"The captain is looking for-” Ray's expression grew more grim as he pointed to something in the distance. "That."

Basil followed his gaze and gulped when he saw an orange glow emanating from the mist. "What is it?"

"Fane's victims."

The crew began to murmur as they got closer, fingering their weapons nervously. But the captain knew there would be no need to use them as it was likely Fane was already long gone. He kept them on course heading straight for the glow.

As they came upon the source of the light, Basil’s heart sank as Ray's explanation was confirmed. A ship, or rather the burning pieces of a ship, were strewn about the area as if it had literally been ripped apart. The blaze illuminated the grim scene, causing the entire crew to fall quiet as they navigated carefully and silently through the fog, staring grimly at the corpses that littered the water around the wreckage. Basil grimaced at the stench of smoke and blood in the air.

“Looks like we’re in the right place,” Ratigan remarked grimly, though a sinister gleam shined in his yellow eyes knowing that he was hot on the trail of his most hated rival. He gave the order for some of his crew to take one of the boats and see if anything or anyone could be salvaged from the wreckage.

“Well?” Ratigan asked, pacing the deck restlessly when they returned. “Did you manage to find anything useful?”

“Not much, cap’n,” Bill reported as the others hauled up their small catch onboard. “A few barrels of food, some chests of silver, a few pistols—”

“Imbeciles!” Ratigan shouted, causing Bill and the others to flinch at his harsh voice. “I only care about that damned bloodsucker! Ya couldn’t find anything, not one scrap of a clue that might lead to him?”

“N-N-No, sir…” Bill stammered, gulping as Ratigan’s claws extended. “B-But we did find this!” the lizard hastily added, nearly tripping over his own tail trying to get out of the way as the rest of the search party climbed aboard carrying another struggling, and very much alive, mouse between them. 

The Captain’s eyebrows shot up as they dragged the mouse to him. “A woman,” he muttered, eyeing the captive with interest.

Basil’s eyes widened at the sight. She was a young lady appearing to be in her early twenties with dark tan fur, curly shoulder-length brown hair, and wide brown eyes. She wore a simple white shirt that was slightly tattered and hung off her shoulders and a black corset with a burgundy skirt. The pirates pushed her forward a bit roughly, causing her to trip over the tattered strips of her skirt and fall onto her hands and knees before the captain.

“Now gents, that’s no way to be treatin’ a lady,” Ratigan reprimanded them. “My sincere apologies, madam,” he said, addressing the girl with an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid the lads are unaccustomed to having female guests aboard.”

The woman remained silent, afraid to speak. Basil felt his heart twisting at the sight of the poor girl huddled on the deck, soaking wet from being fished out of the wreckage and shivering as she stared up at Ratigan in fear. “No need to be so shy, lass,” Ratigan said, trying to coax her into talking. “What’s yer name?”

“A-Amber,” she finally replied quietly.

“Tis a pleasure, Miss Amber. Captain Padraic Ratigan,” the rat replied, removing his hat and bowing with a flourish. Basil cocked one eyebrow. For a pirate, he could be the perfect gentleman when he wanted. He heard Amber gasp at the rat’s name, causing the captain to chuckle. “So you’ve heard of me, eh?” he said with a roguish smile.

The girl only nodded. Basil grew concerned as she shivered again, wrapping her arms around herself. There was no telling how long she’d been stranded out here, and she looked as if she might soon go into shock. Ratigan, however, wasn’t so sympathetic. Getting a bit frustrated with her silence, he knelt down in front of her. “Now, Miss Amber, if you have heard of me, then I’m sure y' know just what a busy mouse I am.” She gasped in fright as Ratigan took her chin in his hands, tilting her face up and forcing her to look up into his cold yellow eyes. “What happened here?” he demanded.

“W-We were attacked by p-pirates,” Amber obediently answered, shivering in rat’s grasp. “We were sailing for Port Royal and lost course in a fog that seemed to appear from nowhere. We heard the cannon fire before we even saw the ship. The crew tried to retaliate, but the fog was so thick they couldn’t even see the ship to fire at it. One of the blasts rocked the ship so hard that I fell over the railing into the water. By the time it finally came into view, our ship was destroyed and sinking. I clung to a piece of the wreckage and remained still, hoping they would think I was one of the corpses in the water. But I watched as the few survivors surrendered and were taken captive by the attackers.”

Despite the tears springing to the girl’s eyes as she recalled the horrible scene, Ratigan urged her on. “When did this happen?”

“About two days ago,” she replied.

Blast. Two days. That scurvy parasite could be anywhere by now. Still, at least he knew they were on the right trail. "And this ship,” Ratigan prodded. “What did it look like?”

“I-It was black,” she replied. “A massive black ship with black sails. It had a m-mermaid skeleton for a figurehead, a-and the windows at the stern were in the shape of a skull.”

Ratigan felt a thrill run through his body and he grinned evilly. “Did ye happen to catch a glimpse of its captain?”

“N-No,” Amber replied. _No matter,_ Ratigan thought. Her description of the ship itself was enough to identify the culprit. Satisfied with her answers, the captain finally released her and rose to his feet. Amber closed her eyes, wondering what he would do to her now that he had gotten his information.

As Ratigan pondered what to do, he heard the first mate approach. “Orders, sir?” Ray asked cautiously, noticing that the crew shifted about, anxious to move on from this place of death.

“The trail might be cold,” Ratigan finally responded, “but we’re closer than ever to finding the devil's hideout. We go on.” Not missing the disgruntled and fearful looks from his crew, Ratigan stood at the helm where all could see him. “Anyone not willing to continue the voyage can hop overboard and join the corpses in the water.” When they still hesitated, Ratigan drew his cutlass, eyes flashing with anger. “Do it y’ dogs, or I’ll send ye to the depths meself!”

At that the crew jumped into action, and soon _the Felicia_ was back underway. Feeling a tug at his sleeve, Ratigan glanced down to find the girl staring up at him with wide pleading eyes. “W-Wait!” she stammered fearfully. “What are you going to do with me?”

“Hmm,” Ratigan pondered, hiding a smile as he placed a hand to his chin as if deep in thought. “Well, let’s see. Had I not sailed this way you would likely have perished, correct?” Amber nodded. “Then we’re in agreement that I rescued you from such a horrible fate?” Blinking in confusion, Amber hesitantly nodded again. Ratigan grinned smugly in response. “Then that means you are in my debt. Have you any means of payment?”

“What? No, I… I-I have nothing—”

“Then until you can earn your freedom, you belong to me.”

“What?!” Amber exclaimed in shock, balling her hands up into fists by her side. “No! You can’t—!”

Ratigan turned on her and she suddenly found herself pinned against the mast. “You think that the best response, missy? Telling me what I can and can’t do on my own ship?” She shuddered as the rat’s breath stirred the curls around her face. “Of course, there are other methods of payment,” Ratigan remarked, his voice rumbling in his chest as he leaned close to her face and stroked her cheek, “should you be willing to pay the price.”

“Never,” she whispered in terror, turning her head away.

“Then that settles it.” With a devious smile, Ratigan removed his hands and stood up to his full height. “Welcome aboard _the Felicia,_ Miss Amber.” Inclining his head at Jones and Tommy as they passed by, Ratigan instructed “Gents, show the little lady to the brig.” Amber gasped as they seized her roughly and half dragged her down below deck.

“This is wrong,” Basil muttered quietly to no one in particular, though Ray, who was standing next to him, perked his ears down sadly in silent agreement. Unfortunately, the first mate wasn’t the only one who heard. Before he realized what was happening, Basil felt Ratigan grab him by the collar of his shirt and leaned close to his face.

“Did ye have something to say to me, Mr. Basil?” he hissed.

“I…” Basil hesitated, but the thought of this girl being another prisoner of this rat made his blood boil. “You’re just going to keep her like… like some kind of trophy?” he said indignantly.

“It’s called the spoils of war, boy. And this is _my_ ship. I can do whatever I want. Now shut up and get to work before I flay the hide off that scrawny back!” Ratigan shouted as he shoved Basil away, causing some of the crew to laugh as his foot got caught in a coil of rope, causing him to stumble and fall.

“You just can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?” Ray quipped, shaking his head exasperatingly as he walked over to help Basil up. Basil ground his teeth irritably, ignoring Ray’s outstretched hand and staggering to his feet as he untangled himself from the rope. The red mouse sighed as Basil stormed off. He hated seeing the young woman become another victim of Ratigan’s as much as Basil, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Still, that didn’t mean that that rebellious mouse wouldn’t try some harebrained scheme to try to help her that would inevitably get them all in trouble. Ray would have to keep a careful eye on him.  
......

As he lay in his hammock that night, Basil found sleep impossible as long as he knew that woman was down there in the brig. Poor thing probably hadn’t eaten or had any water in the two days since the attack, and the thought of her cold and hungry locked up in the brig ate at his conscience. She had suffered so much trauma in such a short time. Surprisingly, he found himself wondering about her; who she was, where she came from, who her family was.

A wave of homesickness overcame Basil so suddenly that it almost took his breath away. It had been years since he’d been there, but closing his eyes, Basil could still picture his home back in London. His father, a merchant sailor, had disappeared at sea five years ago, leaving him, his mother, and two siblings behind. She had died two years later from tuberculosis. His brother Byron now had a high position in the East India Trading Company, and his sister Brynna had married a wealthy businessmouse. Eager to leave the painful memories associated with the place, Basil found a job on a ship and sailed to the Caribbean and eventually joined the British navy as a cabin boy. Never in a million years would he have expected that he would be where he was now.

_Pirate._

As the memories flooded back from the day he had killed that mouse and the whipping, Basil knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. Slipping his boots on and making his way quietly past the sleeping crew, he decided he would risk it and check on the girl.  
.......

Once the pirates had locked her in the cell and the shock finally settled in, Amber had buried her head in her hands cried till she could cry no more. All those mice murdered in cold blood, and the others kidnapped and taken God knows where... This voyage was supposed to mark a new beginning for her, a new life in Port Royal away from the memories back home. A chance to start over. Now she was a captive on one of the most notorious pirate ships in the Caribbean.

A while later, suddenly the sound of footsteps reached Amber's ears as someone descended the stairs. She heard the click of the lock and scrape of the rusty iron hinges as the door to her cell was opened slowly. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as they entered and soon she felt them standing behind her. She refused to turn around, hoping that if she ignored them they would just lose interest and leave. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she was surprised to recognize the mouse as the one the captain had threatened on deck earlier. Noticing that he left the door open, the thought of escape briefly crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it aside, knowing she would never be able to fight him off. Besides, where would she go? They were in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. Instead, she sat perfectly still, frozen with fear.

Amber trembled when the mouse knelt down behind her but was surprised when he gently draped a blanket over her shoulders. He was careful not to touch her, but she still flinched at the closeness. “I thought you might need this,” he explained, his voice low and quiet as if afraid to alert anyone else that he was down there. “I know from experience that it can get pretty cold down here in the brig, especially at night. I’m sorry the blanket’s so thin. It was the best I could find. Brought some food and water too,” he added quickly, gesturing at a bowl and cup he had sat down beside her. “It’s not much, but I couldn’t let you go hungry.”

The lady glanced up at him in confusion. Why was this mouse, with his mesmerizing emerald green eyes, showing kindness to her? He was a pirate after all, and she knew all too well what they were capable of and knew better than to trust them. However, this one seemed different from the others. Kinder, gentler. Certainly more civilized and well-mannered than the other brutes. His ears perked up suddenly and he quickly rose to his feet. “I should go. If they find me down here, it could end badly for us both.”

Although she hated the thought of being left alone again, Amber nodded in understanding. “Th-Thank you, sir,” she remarked shyly, shivering as she pulled the blanket tighter around her.

“Please, call me Basil,” he said, giving her a warm smile before disappearing up the stairs.

As she gratefully began to eat the food and drink, Amber found herself wondering about this mouse Basil, and why he would want to help her. From the way the Captain had treated him, she wondered if he were in the same situation as she was. However, she wouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet. Right now her sole focus would have to be on survival and, if possible, escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justin the helsmouse belongs to ProfessorRatiganFan on deviantART and is used with his permission.


	8. Chapter 8

As he was helping to hoist the sails the next day, Basil glanced briefly from his task as two of the crew escorted Amber from the brig and took her to Ratigan at the helm. She was trembling nervously as he towered over her. “I have a little surprise for you,” Ratigan said, removing something from his coat pocket. Holding it up, she was surprised to see it was a necklace. The piece of jewelry was very simple: a black silk ribbon with a silver pendant engraved with an elaborate letter “R.” 

Despite her fear, Amber glared up at him. “You want me to wear that like some kind of pet?”

“You should be happy to wear it,” Ratigan remarked, appearing to be hurt by her comment. “It will keep you out of trouble. Anyone who sees thaton land or sea will know who you belong to and will think twice about harming you. But of course, there are other alternatives to mark you, if you don’t like that,” he shrugged, smirking mischievously. "Just ask Mr. Basil," he chuckled, causing the hairs on Basil's neck to stand on end as he was reminded of the branded scar on his wrist.

Amber glared one last time before sighing in defeat, turning around and holding her hair up as Ratigan fastened the necklace around her neck. Once it was on, she never felt more degraded in her life. Basil felt himself seething with anger himself as he watched from a distance, although he was relieved that Ratigan hadn’t chosen the brand instead.

Standing at the helm where the whole crew could see, the captain got their attention and began to speak. “Now, gents, I have but one rule concerning our new guest,” he began, placing a hand on Amber’s shoulder. She tried to shrug it off, but he held on firmly. “You are _not_ to touch. In fact, if any of you so much as looks at her the wrong way, I’ll have your guts for garters. Savvy?”

Amber glared up at him again, infuriated that he was treating her like a piece of property, while there were nervous replies of “Aye, aye, Cap’n!” at his orders. Ratigan smiled at her in response, causing her to fume even more. However, the rat didn’t miss the few mutterings and shifting of some of the crew. One, in particular, seemed to clear his throat as if to say something but then thought better of it. Unfortunately, Ratigan wasn’t going to let him off so easily. “Did you have something to say, Mr. Teague?”

“Erm,” the mouse stammered nervously. “N-Nothing important, Cap’n. J-Just—“

“Out with it already!” Ratigan snapped, beginning to lose his temper.

“S-Some of the crew was thinkin’… ‘tis bad luck to have a woman aboard, s-sir.”

Ratigan stood with his hands on his hips irately. “Is that so? Y’ know what else is bad luck?” Amber jumped at the loud crack that sounded close to her ear, horrified as the mouse fell down dead with a bullet in his brain. Ratigan returned his pistol to its place in his belt casually, as if shooting one of his own crew was a daily occurrence. “Does anyone else have a problem with Miss Amber’s presence on my ship?” Ratigan asked sarcastically. “No? Didn’t think so. Now get ta work, y’ bloomin’ cockroaches!” The crew hurried about to do their tasks, tripping and shoving each other to get out of the captain’s way.

“As for you, missy,” Ratigan said addressing the girl, “you can make yourself useful with that bucket and mop over there. Just don’t get in the crew’s way. Wouldn't want ya to get stepped on,” he added with an amused chuckle.

Amber angrily balled her fists up by her sides. “Now you expect me to clean this ship like a maid?”

“Would y' rather stay in the brig?” Amber repressed a shudder, hoping she’d never have to spend another night down in that horribly cold, damp, and disgusting place. She looked down and shook her head. “Then y' best get to swabbin’.” The captain watched with a satisfied grin as Amber fumed silently while going to get the mop and bucket from a corner nearby. Normally swabbing the deck was a menial task assigned to Basil, but he needed something to keep this girl busy and out of mischief.

Speaking of the whelp, Ratigan noticed that he wasn’t the only one observing Amber as she began her task. His eyes narrowed into slits as he saw Basil glance over at her occasionally while he tightened the ropes or hoisted a sail. Other members of the crew would watch her too, but they were more like looks of lust while she was scrubbing the deck on her knees or whenever she bent over slightly. He had to admit, she was a lovely thing to look at, a nice change of scenery on the ship. But the looks Basil gave her were… different. Concern, sympathy, compassion. Even his first mate gazed at her sadly every once in a while.

“Bootstrap!” Ratigan called out suddenly. The green lizard slithered down from his position up in the crow’s nest as fast as he could.

“Aye Cap’n?”

“I have a special job for you. Y' have a good view of the ship from up there on the ratlines, don’t you?”

Bill gave an awkward salute. “Aye sir, got a bird’s eye view, I do!”

“Good. Then help me keep an eye on the girl, make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble. Basil and Lehmann, too,” he added. “We’ll be making port soon, and I don’t want any missing cargo. Understood?”

“Aye aye, Cap’n,” Bill replied with a sly grin. “I’ll keep a good eye on ‘em.”

After the lizard scurried away, Ratigan gave one last glance before heading into his cabin. He began to have second thoughts about keeping the girl. She could turn out to be a distraction to his crew. But perhaps he could still find some way to use her to his advantage.

.......

As Ray came up on deck to take the second watch, he was surprised to see Amber still mopping the floor at the stern. She didn’t notice his presence until she turned around ran into him. Startled, she jumped back and accidentally hit the bucket of dirty soap water, causing it to spill all over Ray’s boots. Her eyes grew wide with fright. “I-I’m so sorry, sir,” she apologized desperately. Ray watched in surprise as she fell on her hands and knees and began wiping his shoes clean hurriedly.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Ray assured her, kneeling down and taking the rag from her. “It was just an accident. But why are you still out here? You should be resting now.”

“I haven't got any other orders, sir,” she replied nervously. “And I don't know where I’m supposed to sleep."

 _Poor girl is scared to death,_ Ray thought. "Come with me,” he said, reaching a hand out to her. “I'll find you a place to be." However, Amber hesitated. She’d seen the looks directed toward her all day by the crew. Once alone, he might have other plans with her. “It’s ok,” Ray said quietly, reading her thoughts. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Seeing the sincere look in his gray eye calmed Amber somewhat, and she finally took his hand. “I’m Ray Lehmann,” he said with a smile as he helped her to her feet.

“Amber,” she replied, offering a small smile of her own. “Amber Mus.”

“Pleasure to officially meet you, Miss Amber,” Ray said with a smile. With her hand in his, he noticed the blisters that had formed from swabbing the deck all day. “First we’ll take care of these,” he said with a smile, turning her palm upward to get a better look. As he escorted her down below deck, neither mouse had noticed as Bill had sat watching the whole time up in the crow’s nest.

“We better keep quiet,” Ray whispered as they descended the stairs. “If anyone sees us, we'll be in serious trouble."

Amber nodded silently, but the pendant around her neck made a little tinkling noise as she walked. “Stupid trinket,” she muttered, holding her hand over it.

Ray smiled sadly. “It’s better you have that to show you belong to him. I— er, Basil got the ‘R’ a more… cruel way.”

Basil. That was the mouse that was so kind to her the night before. He didn’t seem like the other pirates. Come to think of it, neither did Ray. Amber looked at the mouse curiously, wondering if he and Basil were here of their own accord, or if they were like her, forced to stay here against their will.

Soon they reached Ray’s cabin, and Amber followed him inside. She sat in the chair by his desk as he cleaned and bandaged her hands. As he got up to rinse his own hands clean, she noticed a black hat on the desk beside her. Something about the brilliant red feathers appealed to her, and she couldn’t stop herself from placing the hat on her head while his back was turned. 

"It suits you,” she heard Ray say, not realizing he had turned around. Amber quickly removed the hat from her head, blushing in embarrassment. "It's okay," Ray said with an amused smile, walking over to place it on her head again and steering her towards a mirror. They both stood and looked at their reflection for a moment before Amber took a lock of her hair and placed it as a beard.

"Arrr! Now I'm a real pirate,” she laughed. 

Ray’s smile grew bigger and he chuckled. " _Nej_ ," he replied, removing the hair from her face. "You should stay the way you are. _En smuk kvinde._ A beautiful lady." 

Amber blushed again and looked again at herself in the mirror. As they looked at their reflections, Ray's smile suddenly disappeared. "You don't belong here in a place like this,” he muttered quietly. “You should be home on land."

Amber hung her head sadly, feeling that chilling fear creep up on her again. "What will the captain do with me?" she asked worriedly.

"Ratigan is a…” Ray paused, as if searching for the correct English word. “…collector. He wants to own what he can. Things, mice, power. Everything. I guess you're just a part of his... collection."

Amber nodded, touching the pendant around her neck. "Are you a part of it too?"

Ray didn’t answer at first. Amber tilted her head curiously as his hand unconsciously strayed up towards his collarbone. He opened his mouth as if to say something but instead thought better of it. He shook his head and gave Amber an apologetic smile. "Well, let’s find you a place to sleep," he said, taking his hat from Amber's head and place it on his own. “It’s getting late, and I have to take the next watch soon.”

Amber nodded. "Mr. Lehmann?" she asked as they went to the door. "You have to teach me something Danish one day."

Ray smiled mischievously. “ _Rød grød med fløde_.”

“Rod gro…graah… What?” Amber giggled.

“Heh, we’ll work on it,” Ray chuckled.

As they stepped out from the room, the two mice were surprised to see Fidget hobbling quickly towards them. “Mr. Ray, Mr. Ray!” he said hurriedly.

Amber’s eyes grew wide and she ducked behind Ray, afraid of getting in trouble for being seen, but Ray remained calm and in control. “What's the matter, Fidget?”

The bat looked surprised to see the two emerging from Ray’s cabin together, but he shook his head and pointed back in the direction he had come from. “Somethin’s wrong with Basil.”

Ray’s heart pounded and Amber gasped audibly before sprinting quickly after Fidget as he led them to where the crew bunked for the night. Ray had to elbow his way through the crowd to get to Basil, who lay on the floor curled up in a ball on his side. “What happened?” he demanded, kneeling by Basil’s side and checking his pulse.

“He was moanin’ and groanin’ in ‘is sleep,” Fidget answered, “and Smithy, who bunks beside him, got mad cuz he was keepin’ him awake. So's he turned ‘is hammock over and made Basil fall out and told him to shut up. But Basil didn’t even move. We thought ‘e was dead at first.”

Dreading the worst, Ray pulled Basil’s shirt up and removed part of the bandages to inspect his wounds. Sure enough, he could tell even in the dim light that they were badly infected. And even though his skin was hot to the touch and feverish, Basil shivered as if he were cold. “Bring him to my cabin,” Ray instructed, pointing to two of them to lift Basil up. They carried the injured mouse back to Ray’s cabin and laid him on the bed on his stomach. 

Amber followed quietly, biting her lip nervously as she watched over Ray’s shoulder. “C-Can I do anything to help?” she asked.

“You could fill that basin with some water,” Ray replied pointing to the desk against the wall. “We need to get these wounds cleaned. And there are some fresh bandages in that chest over there.”

Amber nodded and hastily did as he instructed while Ray removed Basil’s shirt and the rest of his old bandages, wincing as Basil out a painful groan. “I’m so sorry, Basil,” he whispered, feeling the guilt return. When Amber returned with the water and the bandages, she helped him try to clean the wounds as carefully as they could. “We have to get his fever down and stop this infection,” Ray muttered. “He needs a doctor—"

Ray was interrupted by a knock at the door before Bill came inside. “Captain wants a word with you right away, sir,” he said gravely.

Ray gritted his teeth in annoyance. That rat had the worst timing. “I’ll be right back,” he told Amber, rising to his feet.

“I-I—“ she stammered nervously, looking down at Basil with worry.

“You’ll be fine. Just keep cleaning those wounds and try to stop the bleeding.”

“Okay,” she whispered as Ray followed Bill and closed the door behind them, leaving her alone with the unconscious mouse.

.......

Pausing at the door to Ratigan’s cabin, Ray put his ear to the wood before knocking softly. He knew by now that the captain could get very irritated when he was disturbed, no matter if Ratigan had called him. And the evil smirk on Bill’s face told him that he was probably in trouble, but for what he had no idea. However, once the rat told Ray to enter, he carefully turned the doorknob and stepped inside. “You asked to see me, Captain?” Ray asked. Even though it had been five years since he was brought onboard the Felicia, facing his Captain was always a nerve-racking experience.

“Status report,” Ratigan simply stated, not even bothering to look up at the Dane as he remained focused on the maps and charts on his desk. Ray stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back, not taking the seat across the desk from Ratigan because he had learned the hard way not to do so unless instructed or offered to, and he spoke almost automatically. Being the first mate, he was used to responding to this command frequently and reported every detail to the Captain, everything from the ship’s progress to the crew’s performance of their duties to how low they were running on supplies. “Very good,” Ratigan replied once he was done. “You may return to your post.”

Ray turned to go but then hesitated. He always tried to avoid speaking with the Captain as much as possible and never brought up anything that might upset him. But for whatever reason, he decided to speak his mind for once. “Um… there is one small thing, sir,” Ray remarked as he returned back in front of the desk.

“Mmm,” Ratigan grunted, not paying much attention and still leaning over his maps.

“I-It’s about Basil.”

That caused Ratigan to look up with a glare. “What of him?” he asked, frowning irately.

Ray took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He’d been anxious about bringing this up to the Captain, but now that he’d spoken, there was no turning back. “He is getting worse. The wounds on his back are killing him. If we don’t get him to a doctor—“

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but he’s still paying the price for disobeying me.”

“But it’s not only him, sir,” Ray quietly pointed out. “Some of the crew are still recovering from our last battle, and we could use some medicine if someone were to become sick. We’re running low on medical supplies, but what good are they when there’s no doctor to use them? Pretty soon you’ll have no crew left.”

Ray tried not to be intimidated by the rat’s glare, but he gulped nervously, wondering if he’d overstepped his boundaries. However, Ratigan actually seemed to consider his words and then sighed deeply. “I suppose you have a point,” he muttered. “Alright, Lehmann. It’ll be about a two-day journey to the next port, so we’ll make a small detour to restock and see if we can’t find ourselves a physician.”

“Aye, sir,” Ray replied with a brisk nod, trying to hide his sigh of relief as well as his surprise at the captain’s decision. “I’ll inform the crew.” 

But as he turned again to leave, Ratigan held his hand up.

“Just a minute,” Ratigan said as he motioned for the first mate to return. “There’s somethin’ I’m a bit curious about.”

Ray’s heart skipped a beat. “Aye, sir?”

“ _The Felicia_ has had her fair share of ‘recruits’ over the years, though so far you have lasted the longest. But I can’t help but wonder… what is it that’s so special about him?”

“S-Sir?”

“This concern you continue to show for Basil is unusual, to say the least. First, you were both eager to hack into each other with swords. Now you’re worried about his health. Why the sudden change?” Ray opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted as Ratigan continued. “There’s the girl as well. You’ve been pretty chummy today.” Ray averted his eye, looking down at the floor. “You're not planning something?"

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," Ray answered carefully. Like thunder Ratigan stood from the chair and slammed his hand onto the table, causing Ray to jump.

"You know exactly what I mean!! After that little worm came on board you have changed. Is it guilt?” Ratigan said, moving from behind the desk and walking towards Ray, causing the red-furred mouse to retreat back a few steps. “Do you feel sorry for what you did to Basil?” Ray winced, feeling that pang of guilt return from when he was forced to punish him. “Or perhaps you sympathize with him and the girl. Do you think they want to be your friends just because you know what they’re going through? Do you think they can get you away from this ship?”

Ray trembled as he suddenly found himself cornered, his back against the wall. His heart pounded in his chest as Ratigan loomed over him. "You are not betraying me… are you?"

"O-Of course not, Captain. I will n-never betray you." Ray held his breath when Ratigan placed his hand on his chin, turning his head to the right to show his missing left eye.

"Good. Because you know what happens if you try to do something I'll not accept." Ray gasped when Ratigan finally removed his hand. "Stay away from Basil and Amber,” he threatened. “Now get out!" Ray quickly went to the door, flinching as Ratigan's voice followed behind him. "It's an order, Lehmann!"

........

Basil let out a quiet moan as he came to, wincing at the burning sensation on his back. Sensing that he was laying on his stomach, he tried to push himself up with his arms to sit up only to find that he didn’t have the strength to do so. He realized he was trembling slightly, and he felt so cold. 

“Shh…it’s ok,” a soft voice whispered comfortingly. Opening his eyes slowly, Basil saw Amber sitting on the bed beside him. She looked like an angel, her dark curls framing her face as she gazed down at him with concern. Was he hallucinating?

“W-Where am I?” Basil asked confusedly, his voice weak with pain. “What happened?”

“The cuts on your back are infected, and it’s caused you to become sick,” she replied softly, wiping his brow with a cool cloth, which felt very relieving to him. “Ray brought you here to his cabin to recover.”

Basil sat quietly for a minute, trying to recall what had happened, but he only remembered collapsing in his hammock at the end of the day exhausted. As Amber continued to clean his wounds, he squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the pillow tightly, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out. Amber bit her lip nervously, knowing that he was in great pain. She felt horrified looking at the bloody cuts across his back. They looked like whiplashes. “Did the captain do this to you?” she asked quietly.

“Y-Yes,” Basil answered in a strained voice. “I was whipped for disobeying him. He forced Ray to be the one to do it because he stood up for me.” Basil trailed off as pain overwhelmed him again, and he buried his face in the pillow to muffle his groan. 

As he gripped the fabric, Amber caught a glimpse of the “R” burned onto his wrist and gasped softly. So that's what Ratigan had meant about other ways to "mark" people. The more she heard about this rat, the more terrified she became of him. And just thinking of what Ray and Basil must have suffered at his hands caused her hate for him to grow. “I’m sorry,” she said sadly.

“I-I’m fine. J-Just distract me,” Basil whispered, trying to change the subject. “Where are you from? T-Tell me about yourself, your home.”

“Oh. OK. Um… I’m from Charlestown, in America,” she began, still cleaning his wounds gently while distracting him from the pain. Basil listened with interest, surprised with himself for being so curious about her life and wanting to know more about her. “I helped my parents run a medical clinic. My father was a doctor, you see. But…” Basil opened his eyes and felt his heart wrench when he saw her face grow so sad. “About a month ago, the clinic caught fire, and m-my parents…” she trailed off, unable to go on.

Basil’s ears perked down sadly. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said quietly, hating himself for causing her to bring up such a painful memory.

“Thank you,” Amber replied, giving a small smile and wiping the tears away. “A-Anyway, I packed what little I was able to salvage and used what money I could to get passage on a ship going to Port Royal, hoping to start a new life. I guess… I guess I was really just running away from the horrible memories. Then our ship was attacked by pirates, and... well, you know the rest.”

Basil nodded. “I ran away, too,” he replied with a sad smile. “My father disappeared at sea years ago, and my mother died two years later. So my siblings and I looked after each other until Brynna married and Byron went to work for the East India Trading Company. He tried to get me a position too, but that held no interest for me whatsoever. So one day I signed up with the navy and became a cabin boy on the _H. M. S. Intrepid_. Commodore Grayson was obsessed with catching pirates, and we were actually chasing _the Felicia_ when we got caught in a storm and crashed against the rocks. I got trapped under the wreckage, and the crew of _the Felicia_ found me and brought me to Ratigan. He forced me to join his crew no matter how much I refused.”

Amber looked at him sadly. “So you’re just as much a prisoner as I am.” Basil nodded, looking down at the floor. They sat in silence for a few minutes while Amber continued to clean the cuts. “Well, the bleeding is stopped at least,” she said after some time. “Do you think you can sit up so I can wrap some fresh bandages around you?”

Basil nodded and managed to raise himself up on his elbows. He winced and inhaled sharply, and Amber grabbed him before he could fall over and helped him into a sitting position. Basil felt himself blushing at her touch, suddenly embarrassed at being half bare in front of her. She felt her own cheeks burning slightly and tried to keep her eyes from staring at his slim but built form as she began to wrap clean cloths around his torso.

“What kind of a name is Felicia for a pirate ship anyway?” she asked with a nervous laugh, trying to distract herself.

Basil chuckled. “The name means ‘good fortune.’ I suppose Ratigan thought it would bring him luck. Pirates are a very superstitious bunch, after all.”

Amber laughed in response. It was a relief for them both, being able to share a laugh like this. However, the moment was short-lived as Ray returned. Both mice looked up at him concerned with the wild and frightened look on his face. “Ray? What’s wrong?” Basil asked.

“G-Get out.”

“W-What happened?” Amber asked nervously, alarmed at the drastic change in Danish mouse.

"Just get out!” Ray shouted. “ _Skrid! Skrub ud!_ "

Basil stood shakily to his feet pulling Amber along with him, knowing that Ray meant business when he lapsed into his native language. However, his failing strength caused him to stumble, and Amber had to put his arm around her shoulders to support him. After the two mice had stumbled out the door, Ray slammed it behind them and put his back against it as if barring anyone from coming in. Panting with effort, his heart pounding frantically and his eye wild with fright, he finally sank to the floor with his head in his hands.


	9. Chapter 9

“Ugh,” Basil grunted as they made their way down the dimly lit hallway. Moving around was making his back hurt even worse. Amber glanced at him with concern, trying to hold his weight as best as she could while they stumbled along.

“It’ll be alright,” she whispered, panting from the effort but still urging him to keep going. “We’ll find you somewhere to rest until Ray brings a doctor..." The thing was Amber had no idea where she was going. She’d only been on the ship for a day and still didn’t know her way around. With those wounds, Basil wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably in his usual spot in a hammock bunking with the crew. And besides, they probably wouldn’t leave him alone and let him rest as was evident from their actions just an hour or so ago. He needed somewhere to recuperate in peace. If only Ray hadn’t kicked them out of his cabin.

Amber shook her head, trying not to be bitter towards the Dane. She couldn’t blame him after all. He looked scared to death when he had returned from talking to the captain. Ratigan must have said or done something to him to cause him to act that way. 

Hearing Basil groan again, Amber looked around for a place to at least pause to rest. He couldn’t keep up like this. After descending further into the hold of the ship, they came to a large room that appeared to be a place used as storage. Spare cannons, ropes, wood, barrels of food and water — and of course rum— littered the place. Amber’s ears perked up hopefully as she spotted a pile of old fabric used for sails. She helped Basil to sit on one of the barrels while she hastily grabbed a pile of the cloth and attempted to make a cot for him to lie on. “It’s not much,” she remarked as she helped him to lie down, "but at least you’ll have somewhere to rest in privacy.”

“Y-You don’t… have to do this,” Basil said tiredly as she pulled one of the cloths up to cover him with so he’d be warm.

Amber glanced at him and gave a small smile. “Someone has to take care of you.”

Basil chuckled. “I should be taking care of myself.”

“Everyone needs help every once in a while.”

“Well… thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Amber said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear as she blushed again. “Now try to get some sleep. Rest is the best thing for you until the doctor gets here.”

“Yes ma’am,” Basil replied with a small smile, though he already felt his eyelids drooping. Soon, due to the pain and exhaustion, he slipped into unconsciousness.

Though it was very late and she was tired herself, Amber kept a careful watch over Basil, monitoring his breathing and checking his fever, which was still dangerously high. Cradling his head in her lap, she pulled the sheet up tighter around him as he shivered slightly. She hadn’t been able to grab his shirt as they fled from Ray’s cabin, so he was still bare from the waist up. Plus it was cold and damp down in the bottom of the ship.

Amber had almost drifted off herself when she heard Basil groan quietly. Concerned, she leaned down and carefully examined him to see what was wrong, but it appeared he was just moaning in his sleep. He shivered again, and she nearly jumped when he cried out softly, curling up into a ball. It was then she realized he was dreaming, trapped in a nightmare. Her heart ached for him after all he’d been through, and now he couldn’t even get rest from sleep because of this fever.

“Shh,” she whispered softly, caressing his head and running her fingers through his hair while she began to hum softly, hoping it would calm him. Thankfully a few minutes later he seemed to settle down. The feelings stirring inside her felt strange. It’s like she felt… protective of him for some reason. Maybe it was because he had shown her kindness when she was locked down in the brig before and she wanted to repay him someway. She just wanted to do anything to ensure he would be alright.

Still, no matter how much she fought it, Amber’s eyelids began to droop and soon she nodded off and fell asleep. However, only a few hours later, she was awoken by the sounds of pounding footsteps and shouting up above.

“Where’d they go?!”

“They have to be around here somewhere!”

“Oh, no,” Amber whispered, her mind racing out of control. If the crew found them down here together... and when the Captain found out he might jump to conclusions, and—

“Basil!” she hissed fearfully, gently shaking his shoulder. “Basil wake up!” Unfortunately, she couldn’t get a response from the mouse. Poor thing was just so hurt and exhausted. But how was she going to get them both out of here? 

Hearing the footsteps coming closer, she panicked and laid down beside Basil and pulled the sails over both of them, hoping to remain hidden long enough that they wouldn’t be discovered. Amber’s heart leaped as the sound of boots thudding against the stairs reached her ears. She found herself blushing as she wrapped her arms around Basil’s waist and buried her face in his shoulder, thankful that he wasn’t awake to see her do it.

As Ray descended the stairs, he held his lantern up high, examining every corner of the room. He blamed himself for losing them, and so would Ratigan. They had to still be on the ship since they were in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. But there were so many places where they could be hiding. 

“ _Kaptajnen vil slå mig ihjel_ ,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair nervously. Giving a big sigh, he sank down onto the pile of sails ready to give up the search. However, he instantly shot up with a yell as something squeaked and moved underneath him. Reaching down he threw the sheet back and was shocked to see Amber staring up fearfully at him, huddled beside an unconscious Basil. “What the… what are you doing down here?” Ray exclaimed quietly so the others wouldn’t hear.

Amber gulped nervously as she sat up. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know where else to take him.” She trailed off and looked up at the ceiling worriedly as the noise of footsteps grew louder. 

Ray pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in exasperation. “This is not good,” he muttered. “Word will get back to the captain that you two were together all night, and he will not be happy.”

Amber looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Please, Ray...”

“Look, I—” He was cut off as the voices of the crew reached him from the top of the stairs.

“Found anything down here, Lehmann?” someone called.

“ _Gem dig_!” Ray whispered, throwing the sheet over Amber’s head and gently pushing her back down. “Hide!” She quietly did as she was told and lay still, hoping not to be found. But before Ray could hide Basil, some of the crew came barging down the steps.

“Oh, looks like Lehmann found him!”

“What’s he doin’ down here?”

Ray shook his head. “Must have wandered down in the middle of the night,” Ray lied. “Fever will do that to you, make you lose your senses. Take him out of here.”

“Back to your cabin, sir?”

“N-No, his own bunk!”

“What about the girl?”

“I’ll keep looking for her, you lot just get him out of here and get back to your posts.” When they were finally gone, taking Basil with them, Ray let out a sigh of relief. “That was too close,” he said, lifting the sheet.

Amber crawled out and stood to her feet, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“No, it’s fine. Hey,” he said, tilting his head sideways and stooping slightly and trying to get Amber to look at him since she was still hanging her head. When she looked up he grinned. “No harm done. Now, I promised to find you somewhere to stay, so come with me.”

Amber managed to return the smile and nodded, following the Dane up the steps. He paused at the top to make sure no one was around, then led her through another corridor and opened another door, holding his hand out motioning for her to enter. Amber stepped inside and looked around. It was fairly small, basically a spare closet. But a hammock with a thick blanket hung in one corner, and a chest sat against the wall with a mirror hanging above it. “It’s not much I’m afraid,” Ray said apologetically, “but I figured you shouldn’t have to bunk with the crew, so I had to make do.”

Amber stared at Ray in shock. “You did this, for me?” she asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Ray replied, his fur bristling as he became embarrassed. “I, erm, I-I guess it’s sort of my apology for my actions toward you and Basil last night. Talking to the captain always… well, you know how he is. But I shouldn’t have lashed out at you two. I’m sorry.”

Amber looked at him sympathetically and touched his arm softly. “It’s alright, Ray. You were scared. Anyone would have reacted the same way. And thank you so much for this,” she added, truly touched by his thoughtfulness.

Ray blushed, making him appear even more red. “Y-You’re welcome,” he said. “You must be tired, so I’ll leave you in peace.”

Amber nodded again, stifling a yawn. “Goodnight, Ray,” she said as he turned to go.

“ _Godnat_ , Amber,” he replied with a smile before closing the door behind him.  
………………..

Later in the evening the next day after finishing her "chores,” which consisted of more swabbing and cleaning and washing dishes and clothes, Amber’s ears perked up when she heard her name. Her heart leaped when she realized it was the Captain calling her. Remembering what happened the day before with Ray, she nervously made her way over to where he stood in the door of his cabin motioning her inside. She was afraid he must have found out about her and Basil, but instead of facing his wrath as she expected, he offered her a gift. A strapless dark plum-colored dress with white lace trim was draped across his bed. He urged her to try it on and even said she could take a bath first if she wished. Despite feeling confused about his sudden generosity, Amber thankfully took him up on his offer and was shown to his personal chambers where a warm bath awaited.

Amber eyed the door warily wondering if the captain was truly gone and not spying on her in some way, but the water looked so inviting, and it had been so long since she’d had a decent bath. She finally decided the heck with it and quickly stripped down before slipping into the water carefully. Sinking down deeper into the tub until she was submerged in the water up to her neck, Amber sat enjoying the warmth and trying to relax before sitting back up and scrubbing the dirt and grime away with a sweet-smelling soap. Pirates didn’t normally care for hygiene, but even after knowing Ratigan for just a brief amount of time, it didn’t surprise her that he of all pirates would have such a luxury on his ship.

Once she was done, Amber wrapped a towel around herself before sticking her head out the door cautiously. The room was empty, so she stepped out and picked up the gown Ratigan had left for her to put on. Once dressed, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was so lost in thought that she jumped slightly at three brief taps sounding on the door. “May I come in?”

“Y-Yes,” Amber replied, smoothing the wrinkles in the dress as Ratigan entered. She looked up at him timidly as he approached, surprised at the soft smile on his face.

“Do y’ like the dress?” he asked. Amber nodded. Although it was a bit fancier than the style she was used to, it felt nice to put on something clean. And purple was her favorite color, so she did like it a bit. “I must say it suits ye well,” Ratigan remarked, surprising her by taking her hand and touching his lips to the back of it softly in a gentleman’s kiss.

“What’s the occasion?” Amber asked warily.

Ratigan flashed a roguish grin as he replied. “We’re going ashore.”

.......

A couple of hours later, Amber fumed inside as the truth began to dawn on her as to why the captain was suddenly being so nice. That night when they reached port, the crew practically jumped off the ship when they reached the docks and went off to do their business, spending their earnings on drinks or pleasure. While she on the other hand found herself stuck with the captain, being escorted into town on his arm and shown off like a trophy.

Ray shook his head as he watched her from across the room of a local tavern as Ratigan prattled on, laughing and catching up with some of his old pirate friends. He wished he just could go over there and take her away from this dump. A lady like her shouldn’t be in a place like this. But the captain had made it clear to stay away from her, so he would have to do just that.

Already irritated, Ray gritted his teeth as a nearby lute player strummed his instrument louder so he would be heard over all the chatter and noise despite the fact that he was so out of tune. After some time Ray couldn’t take it anymore. Taking one last swig of his drink, he stormed over to the lute player, grabbed the instrument, and threw it onto the ground. "Stick with your day job!" he growled.

"Critic!" the lute player sneered, shaking his fist at Ray as he stomped off back toward the bar.

“Ugh, of all the islands in the Caribbean he could have chosen, it _had_ to be Krawk Island,” Ray mumbled to himself as he maneuvered through the barroom, ducking just in time to avoid a bottle thrown across the room from smashing into his skull. “Just how does he expect me to find a doctor on this godforsaken piece of rock?” He sat sulking for a few minutes, cursing his luck. But as he thought of Basil, Ray sighed and stood up to begin his search.

“Excuse me, miss?” he asked, first approaching a lady sitting by herself at a table. “Would you be so kind to—” Ray was interrupted as the woman threw the contents of her mug into his face much to the amusement of those around them. “I’ll take that as a no,” Ray mumbled, ringing out his hat. He walked on until he came to a table of mice engaged in a card game. “Excuse me? Hellooooo,” he said, waving his hands trying to get their attention.

“What?!” the biggest and most foul-smelling of them finally hissed.

“Erm… I-I suppose you wouldn’t happen to be a doctor would you?”

The brute grinned savagely, revealing a gold tooth. "I can circumcise you, right here with my dagger!”

"Oh, god!” Ray gulped as he found a knife thrust under his chin. “Um, I’m just gonna leave you alone now," he stammered as he backed away, then sprinted in the opposite direction.

"Get back over here chum!” the pirate chuckled while his comrades guffawed loudly. “I'll refine yer jewels!"

“N-No thanks!” Ray threw over his shoulder as he ran. After asking a few more mice for help, including an older mouse who whacked him in the stomach with his cane for bothering him, Ray slumped down at a table, running a hand through is hair.

“You look like shit,” a voice said nearby. Ray glanced up with a scowl, noticing the portly mouse sitting across him for the first time.

“Gee thanks,” he muttered. “Look, you wouldn’t happen to know where I can find a doctor on this spit of land would you?”

“You’re in luck, mate! I happen to be a doctor m’self!”

Ray cocked one eyebrow at the mouse. “You?”

“What? Don’t look so surprised. I’ve sewed up more limbs than… than…” the mouse trailed off, wrinkling his brow in concentration as he tried to come up with a comparison.

“If you’re a doctor, what are doing in a dump like this? Fell on hard times?”

“You could say that,” the mouse replied, taking another long swig of his drink. “I was ship’s doctor on the _H. M. S. Whirlwind_. A couple of weeks ago we got caught in a storm and were shipwrecked on the other side of this island. Been stuck here ever since.”

“You couldn’t barter passage on another ship?”

“The only bloody ships that come here are pirate ships!” the mouse snapped. “I’m not throwing in my lot with them.”

Ray winced. That made what he was about to do even more difficult. “Say, Doctor…?”

“David Q. Dawson, at your service,” the mouse grinned, throwing a sloppy salute.

“Doctor Dawson… how would you like to join my crew?”

“Your crew?”

“Sure. We ran into some pirates a few days ago and came into port for repairs. And we’re in dire need of a ship’s doctor. You interested?”

Dawson stroked his mustache as he gazed down into his drink deep in thought before looking up with another smile. “Where do I sign?”

.......

Not long after, Ray rounded up a few members of the crew and headed to the local apothecary. Ray picked the lock to the backdoor easily, motioning for the others to follow him inside. Dawson entered behind him, still a bit tipsy and reeking of alcohol, and leaned against a shelf for support. But his considerable weight caused the shelf to move, which in turn knocked over a bucket balanced on the top and causing it to clatter and fall on Ray’s head.

“Oh for the love of—!” Ray fumed, jerking the bucket off.

“What is all this… junk?” Fidget asked, eying the sharp tools and jars of liquid anxiously.

“Just shut up and don’t break anything,” Ray instructed irately wanting to get it over with. “Alright doctor, what do we need?”

“Well, we’ll need the usual things,” Dawson remarked, his speech still a little slurred from the drinks Ray had generously offered him. “Medicine, bandages… not to mention syringes and tools to perform operations…” Dawson was slowly counting them off on his fingers, wrinkling his thick eyebrows together in concentration.

Ray rolled his eye. “Just grab what you can and let’s get out of here.”

Dawson, unsure of what his role was in all this, was pushed off to the side and simply watched as the crew basically stuffed what they could into sacks and slung them over their shoulders. Then it slowly began to dawn on him. “W-Wait just a moment,” he said, tapping Ray on the shoulder. “You’re not… pirates, are you?”

Ray sighed exasperatedly. He’s just now figuring that out? Poor thing was drunk out of his skull though, so his senses were certainly dulled a bit. “Not at all, _doktor_.” He grabbed a doctor’s bag from behind the counter and shoved it into Dawson’s hands before pushing him toward the door, wanting to be gone before they could be discovered.


	10. Chapter 10

Once back on board _the Felicia_ , it wasn’t long before the poor doctor passed out from all the alcohol he imbibed the night before. Captain Ratigan was skeptical about the new recruit, but he’d take any doctor over no doctor at all. When Dawson awoke, despite the hangover, he was brought to the captain and informed of his duties. He couldn’t remember much, only vaguely meeting Ray and being ushered onto the ship. He didn’t even remember officially signing up for the crew, but there was no denying when Ratigan showed it to him that that was his signature scrawled on the ship’s log. Once it was clear to him that he was stuck, he decided to just go along with it for now. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

Dawson quietly followed Ray down below to the crew’s quarters where Basil was still lying in his bunk. He didn’t appreciate that he had been tricked like this, but once he saw his patient his anger dissipated. He was actually a bit glad they had raided the apothecary the night before so that now he had the tools he needed to do his job. He got to work straight away cleaning Basil’s wounds before applying medicine to help them heal. Dawson winced again. Being a navy mouse, he knew whiplashes when he saw them. “What did he do to receive so many stripes?” he asked.

“Refused to kill another mouse at the captain’s orders,” Ray replied quietly. Dawson lifted one eyebrow curiously. Perhaps this mouse had been forced on board as he had.

“Is there something I can do to help?” a voice piped up nearby. Dawson paused and was surprised to see a young lady watching from the doorway looking at the injured mouse with concern.

“I could use some fresh water to clean the wounds,” Dawson replied with a small smile. “And some clean rags if you have any. We have to stop this infection before it spreads any further.”

The girl nodded before hurrying off to find the items. Dawson looked to Ray curiously, shocked that a woman was on a pirate ship. Ray’s ears lowered and Dawson didn’t miss the forlorn look on his face. “Her name’s Amber. We rescued her from a shipwreck, but the captain considers her property now and refuses to let her go.”

Dawson continued his work silently, appalled at the audacity of this pirate Captain. “If you needed a doctor,” he remarked, “why didn’t you simply ask for my help rather than trick me?”

Ray crossed his arms and gazed down at the floor. This mouse was certainly full of questions. "Would you really help a pirate?"

"I'm not heartless,” Dawson replied honestly. “I'd help anyone in need. Isn't that how you are? I mean, you are the one who brought me here, after all, so you must be concerned about him," Dawson remarked, inclining his head at Basil.

"Don't press me when you know nothing about me," Ray mustered nervously, finding himself unable to meet the older mouse’s gaze. 

"You hold many wounds in your heart,” Dawson remarked as he continued to clean the gashes on Basil’s back, causing Ray to glance up in surprise. “Someday those scars might deepen, and no matter how much you tend to them, they’ll never heal completely.”

Ray felt so dumbstruck he simply stared at the doctor wordlessly, feeling shivers run up and down his spine. They remained silent for some time while Dawson continued his work. Amber returned to bring fresh cloth and water for the doctor to use. She winced as she gazed down at Basil, then looked to Ray. Seeing how worried she was, Ray gave her a small smile of encouragement. Amber returned the smile before leaving to finish her other chores.

“You fancy her, don’t you?” Dawson remarked innocently.

“I…” Ray’s fur bristled. “J-Just do your job and mind your own business,” he snapped before storming off.

Dawson sighed tiredly. “Way to make friends, old boy,” he muttered to himself. His ears perked up as his patient stirred and tried to sit up, only to fall back down with a groan. “Easy, chap,” Dawson said, putting a hand on Basil’s arm gently, who turned his head and looked up warily. “Trust me,” Dawson remarked with a smile, trying to reassure him. “I’m a doctor.”

Somehow that didn’t reassure Basil in the least. Dawson noticed him begin to tremble as he glanced at the bloody rag he was holding. “It’s alright,” Dawson said softly to calm him down, explaining what he was doing since Basil was lying on his stomach and couldn’t see his back. “I’m just cleaning your wounds to get the infection out.” Basil merely nodded slowly, shutting his eyes tightly as the pain washed over him in waves.

“I-Is he ok?” came Amber’s soft voice from the door. Dawson motioned for her to come in.

“He’s awake, but he’s in a lot of pain. I’m afraid some of these will require stitching. Perhaps you could talk to him, distract him while I work?”

Amber nodded and did as the doctor instructed, quickly kneeling down by Basil’s head and speaking softly to him. “Hey,” she said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

“L-Like hell,” Basil grunted, wincing as the doctor began stitching him up. He tried to crane his head around to look but Amber took his head in her hands to stop him.

“Stop squirming. You’ll only hurt yourself worse,” she instructed gently. 

Basil shook his head worriedly and tried to raise himself up on one arm only to fall back down again. “I-I can’t stay here,” he insisted. “The captain won’t approve…”

Right on cue, the sound of boots thumping against the flooring as someone approached reached their ears, and Amber’s heart pounded as Ratigan entered. Dawson’s eyes flickered to the captain but he remained focused on his work. Out of the corner of his eye, Basil could see the rat’s shadow fall on the wall beside Amber and he couldn’t help flinching slightly. “So... how is my cabin boy?” the rat asked nonchalantly, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.

Amber’s hand automatically went to Basil’s and she gripped it tightly as a way to calm them both, but she was unable to meet the gaze of the stern captain. Seeing the nervousness of the two younger mice, Dawson took it upon himself to answer. “I’m just finishing up,” he explained. “The lacerations were so deep, they needed stitching. His back is so cut and bruised...” Ray blushed as he felt eyes on him, swallowing nervously as the guilt sank into his gut. “But for now he needs rest. He’ll be out of commission for a few days.”

“Days?” Ratigan repeated with a scowl. “That’s simply out of the question. I have a ship to run and can’t spare any hands.”

“He can’t work in this condition!” Amber exclaimed in shock.

“I expect everyone to pull their weight around on this ship,” Ratigan replied, glaring down at them. “Even the cabin boy.”

“Don’t talk down to him like that,” Amber retorted angrily. “You’re the one that did this to him in the first place!”

“I beg to differ!” Ratigan sneered, causing Ray to flinch. Turning back to the doctor Ratigan instructed, “Finish stitching him up so he can get back to work. He’s not going to shirk his duties just because of a few scratches.”

 _A few scratches?!_ Amber opened her mouth to protest but knew it would be pointless so remained quiet. While Dawson continued tending to Basil, she looked to Ray and gestured at Ratigan as he turned to walk away, indicating Ray should say something to him. Ray shrugged helplessly, afraid to speak up to the captain after what happened last time. Amber frowned and pointed at Ratigan again. Ray shook his head and threw up his arms exasperated. Stomping her foot, Amber gritted her teeth and punched her fist into her hand to get her point across. Grimacing, Ray put up his hands in defense. Amber pointed at the door again and Ray grudgingly obeyed, following Ratigan. 

Once above deck, Ray cleared his throat nervously. “S-She has a point, Captain."

“What?!” Ratigan growled, baring his teeth savagely. Wincing, Ray took a step back.

“A-About Basil,” Ray hastily continued. “In this condition, he won’t get anything accomplished. He’ll be more of a nuisance than anything. And if he doesn’t recover or ends up worse from overwork, there’s the possibility that he might actually die, leaving you one hand short.”

Ratigan seemed to think it over for a moment but shook his head firmly, brushing past Ray and entering his cabin. “If I let him have a few days off, the rest of the crew will expect special treatment as well. And an unruly, unsatisfied crew is something I’m not in the mood to deal with right now. I simply cannot allow it.”

Taking his place behind his desk, Ratigan opened one of the maps and seemed to ignore his first mate’s presence. Ray’s heart sank at having to tell Amber of his failed attempt to appeal to the Captain. But before he turned to go, he gave one last desperate effort. “What would Loran say?” Ray asked quietly.

Ratigan grew very still at that. Talking about his old first mate was a sensitive topic for the captain. Ray watched with bated breath. Finally, Ratigan sighed, massaging his temple irately. “Fine. I’ll give him three days at the most. But don’t let him get used to it. After that, I expect him back up here with the rest of you lot.”

“Thank you, sir,” Ray replied, breathing a sigh of relief before running back down to tell Amber the news.

“What did you find out?” she asked once they had stepped out of the room so that Basil could rest peacefully.

“That I’m the only one on this ship with no balls,” Ray muttered sullenly. “And he gave Basil three days to recover.”

“Only three?!”

“We’re lucky he was that generous!” Amber sighed and looked to Basil worriedly. Ray noticed her look of concern and tilted her head back up. “Hey, he’ll be fine. Basil is one of the most stubborn mice I’ve met. He won’t go that easily. Heh, he’ll probably get bored lying around with nothing to do.”

Amber chuckled at that. “I guess we’ll just have to entertain him then.” Ray nodded with a smile. Just before he turned to go, Amber touched his arm gently. “Thanks, Ray. A-Again.” She tucked her hair behind her ear sheepishly. “Er, um, maybe I should say, _'tak?'_ I think I’ve heard you say it before.”

Ray’s smile grew. “Yes, that’s right!” His eye twinkled mischievously. “Think you can try _‘rød grød med fløde’_?”

Amber laughed at the suggestion. “Maybe something a little easier for now.”

Ray tapped his chin thoughtfully, causing Amber to chuckle. “Oh! Try this one… _Rav_.”

“ _Rav_.” Amber repeated.

Ray nodded. “ _Mus_.”

“ _Mus_.”

“Now together. _Rav Mus_.”

“ _Rav Mus_.”

Ray grinned. “That is your name in Danish.”

“Really?” Amber asked excitedly. “ _Rav Mus_. I like the sound of that.”

“It suits you,” Ray replied with a laugh. The two mice stood together for a minute longer, enjoying the happy moment since those were so hard to come by. Again Ray felt himself blushing as unfamiliar feelings stirred in his chest. Since they were alone, he decided to take the plunge and tried to work up the nerve to finally speak his mind.

“Amber, I…”

“Yes?” Amber asked expectantly, those brown eyes of hers causing his heart flutter. But before he could finish, Ratigan’s voice could be heard overhead barking out orders at the crew.

"I-I better go,” Ray finished flatly, changing his mind. Amber nodded and glanced back toward the crew’s quarters with a worried look. “He’ll be alright, especially with you to take care of him,” Ray added with another smile, causing her to blush as she hurried back to check on Basil. Once she was gone, Ray groaned and smacked his forehead in frustration. “ _Dumt, dumt, dumt…!_ ” His ears flattened when he heard Ratigan shouting for him in an irritated voice. Sighing, Ray gave one last look over his shoulder toward the cabin before hastening up the steps as fast as he could. Once above deck, he went to the stern where Ratigan stood observing the crew.

“Orders, sir?” Ray asked.

“Get up those ratlines and help Bill with the sails.” Hearing Ray sigh, he lifted one eyebrow. “Problem, Lehmann?”

“N-No, sir,” Ray hastily answered before making his way up the ropes and climbing onto the rigging beside Bill. As he worked on the sails, Ray scowled when he heard the lizard snicker. “What?” he snapped.

“First mate doing the dirty work.”

“ _Hold kæft_ ,” Ray grumbled, fighting the urge to punch that smug grin off Bill’s face.  
……………………

A few days later the crew made another stop at the Isla de Ramea to restock on food and fresh drinking water. It was like a holiday of sorts for the crew, a couple days of rest. Some went fishing, others swam in the lagoon, and some explored the island. Even Basil was feeling well enough to go ashore. Then at night they built a large campfire and swapped tales of pirate legends and adventures. All while enjoying their stock of rum, of course.

Bart, a short stocky little mouse with a tattered tricorn hat, was notorious for his drunken habits. The crew laughed and joked as he staggered around the fire. They laughed more when he attempted to flirt with Amber, bowing so low he almost tumbled over headfirst into the sand. Even Amber giggled at his antics, obliging by getting up and dancing with him. This caused some of the crew to strike up a lively jig on their instruments, and some started singing.

_What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
What will we do with a drunken sailor?  
What will we do with a drunken sailor  
Early in the mornin'?_

_Way hay and up she rises!  
Way hay and up she rises!  
Way hay and up she rises  
Early in the morning'!_

Ray paused in the midst of playing a panpipe in order to catch his breath, panting as he tried to keep up with the fast pace of the music. Basil also sat nearby, reclining with his back against a rock and watching the scene wordlessly. His wounds were almost healed, but at times they would still hurt, so he took the opportunity to rest rather than cavort about with the rest of the crew. He watched with interest as Amber decided to join them, taking turns dancing with each crew member. He was surprised to find himself wanting to be the one to have her in his arms.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Ray suddenly remarked, breaking Basil’s thoughts. He tilted his head curiously and followed Basil’s gaze toward the fire where Amber was twirling around with Bart, who even drunk out of his skull was just as happy as could be. “Ooh, so that’s what it is,” Ray said with a laugh.

Basil scowled at the red mouse, feeling his cheeks become hot. “So?”

“So go dance with her.”

“W-What?” Basil said, looking flustered. “No, certainly not.”

Ray lifted one eyebrow teasingly. “Don’t tell me you have two left feet?”

Basil rolled his eyes. “No, I just don’t… I mean…”

“There you are, you two!”

Both mice looked up as Amber came over. “Where’s your dancing partner?” Ray laughed.

“Oh, passed out behind a palm tree. I think we might have overdone it with all the spinning!” Amber giggled. “So it looks like I’m in need of a new partner,” she added with a playful smile. Basil’s eyes widened as he realized she was looking at him. “Care to dance?”

“Dance?” Basil stuttered. “I-I don’t think that’s such a good—”

“Oh, come on, Basil!” Amber pleaded with a teasing pout, leaning down tilting her head playfully. “Have some fun!”

“Yeah, Bas,” Ray chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs. “Lighten up.”

“You lighten up,” Basil replied sullenly.

Amber couldn’t help chuckling. “Aw, that’s ok. Can’t have your stitches coming undone. You should finish recuperating. Ray,” she asked, holding out her hand, “would you like to dance?”

“M-Me?” Ray replied, nearly dropping his flute.

“Sure, why not?”

“I…” Ray glanced over where Ratigan sat watching them, a bottle of rum in his hand and several empty ones littering the sand around him. Ray looked at him as if to ask permission since he really wasn’t even supposed to be talking to either her or Basil. But to his surprise, Ratigan nodded and waved his hand dismissively. Ray didn’t know if it was because he was feeling generous or was just too drunk to care, but he didn’t question it. Smiling, he let Amber tug his hand and pull him to his feet, unable to resist throwing a sly grin over his shoulder at Basil, who huffed and crossed his arms irately.

As Amber led him forward, she took Ray by both hands, showing him where to place them. She moved his right hand to her waist while she placed hers on his shoulder, then placed her right hand in his left. Ray cleared his throat, feeling himself blush as they stood close together, making him appear even redder in the glowing firelight. “Don’t worry, it’s easy,” she said with a smile. “Just follow my lead.”

Before he had time to respond, the music picked up and Ray found himself whirling around so fast he could barely keep up. The crew and the background and campfire all became a blur. All he could see was Amber. But he soon found that she was all he wanted to see anyway. With her hair flying as they spun around in circles, eyes twinkling, grinning and laughing. She was happy. And seeing her like this... for the first time in years, Ray himself felt happy. And he wanted to do anything to keep that smile on her face.

Once the song ended, both mice were so winded they stood panting for a moment trying to catch their breath. Amber couldn’t help laughing when she noticed Ray’s eye patch was slightly crooked from twirling and dancing around so fast. Ray of course hadn’t noticed since he could only see out of his right eye.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Amber said with a laugh, standing on her tiptoes to reach him.

“What? Oh… thanks,” Ray replied embarrassedly, blushing again when he felt Amber’s fingers brush his face as she put it back in place.

Amber grinned shyly, especially when the crew begged for more dancing. “Maybe later, fellas. Dancing is exhausting!” The crew groaned disappointedly as she and Ray plopped down beside Basil to rest. “Why don’t we take a break from the dancing for a while?” she suggested. “Does anyone know any good ghost stories?”

Of course, every crew member had a tale to tell, shouting above one another and competing over who had the best story. Amber finally convinced them all to take turns, feeling strangely excited to hear their stories since pirate lore and legends had always fascinated her. They were much more gruesome than she had expected though, such as one that Fidget began to sing in his creepy grating voice.

_He laid out three kings to lay to bed,  
And out came their blood, and the roll of their heads.  
Never has the crown looked so dead!_

After that, Lefty began another equal creepy, yet slightly comical song.

_Some say he's a serpent that came straight from hell,  
To eat the souls of pirates and other ne'er-do-wells.  
Some they don't believe it, as for me I've got a hunch,  
'Cause they used to have some pirates here  
But he ate them all for lunch!_

_Oh, Don't you sail and don't you row and certainly don't you swim,  
'Cause if you aren't careful you'll end up inside of him.  
He'll eat you up, he'll spit you out. You'd better stay away.  
Heed the sign that says, "Beware the Beast of Pirate's Bay!" ___

__“And _that_ is how I lost me hand,” Lefty added at the end. The other pirates instantly protested._ _

__“I thought y’ said a shark ate it!”_ _

__“He told me a giant crab pinched it off!”_ _

__“Told me he lost it in a fight with a crocodile!”_ _

__“Nah, yer thinkin’ of Cap'n Hook!”_ _

__Basil just rolled his eyes as a loud discussion ensued while Lefty defended himself, waving his hooked hand around in protest._ _

__“Do they always bicker like this?” Amber asked laughing._ _

__“More than you know,” Basil replied with a smile. “Right Ray? Ray?” The first mate had grown very quiet since the singing had begun, especially at the last one. Basil elbowed him, startling Ray and making him yelp in surprise. “What’s with you?” Basil asked._ _

__Ray blushed when he saw Amber leaning up and looking around Basil at him worriedly. “Nothing,” he muttered, looking down at the ground. “These songs just… bring back bad memories.”_ _

__Amber and Basil exchanged glances. “But they’re only stories, right?” Amber asked. “I mean, the Beast of Pirate’s Bay isn’t real… is it?”_ _

__“I thought it was just a story to scare children,” Basil agreed._ _

__“It is just a story,” Ray replied. “But the real Beast isn’t a fish or sea monster like the song says. He’s a pirate like us. But not just any pirate. He’s the most notorious pirate to ever sail these waters. The Scourge of the Seas…”_ _

__Basil’s ears pricked up at that. He remembered Ray talking about such a pirate before. “You mean Fane cel Rau?”_ _

__Ray’s ears flattened as he nodded. Then he scoffed disdainfully. “But the song is stupid. The real Fane cel Rau is much worse.”_ _

__“Wait, you mean you’ve actually seen him?” Amber asked incredibly._ _

__The first mate nodded, his voice growing quiet as he recalled the sight. “Fane cel Rau is Captain Ratigan’s mortal enemy, and he has always been obsessed with defeating him. When Fane found out, he came after us in his ship, _the Persephone_ , and we were easily overwhelmed._ _

__“It was one of our bloodiest battles. We lost over half the crew in the fight, and even Ratigan himself was injured. It was then I saw him. He…” Ray gulped and a pained expression crossed his face as he struggled with this part of the story. “He almost took me captive. But Oliver Loran, Ratigan’s first mate, attacked him to try to save me. And I… I-I accidentally made him fall to Fane’s crew so that they caught him, and Fane took him instead. One, because he was Ratigan’s first mate and it would be demoralizing for the Captain to lose his right hand, and two... because I didn’t save him. Then after blowing a hole in our ship leaving us to sink and taking Oliver with him, Fane sailed away. We never saw him again.”_ _

__Amber looked to Ray sadly, not even able to imagine such an ordeal. “Why didn’t you try to save him?” Basil asked, causing Amber to poke him in the ribs sharply, but it was too late to keep the words from leaving his mouth._ _

__“Don’t you think I did?!” Ray snapped. “I tried to, I really did. But things just didn’t go as well as I hoped.”_ _

__Amber looked to him sympathetically. “It’s OK, Ray. You don’t have to talk about it. I’m sure you did everything you could-” She was cut off as the music picked up again as the crew forgot their argument with Lefty, who drowned his sorrows in a bottle of rum. When they turned back around, Amber and Basil saw that Ray had disappeared and fled toward the forest. “I’ll go talk to him,” Amber said, getting to her feet._ _

__“Maybe I should go too,” Basil said. “Ray’s temper is worse when his emotions aren’t stable. And there are dangers in the jungle.”_ _

__Amber shook her head with a smile. “I’ll be fine. I know he needs some space. I’m just going to check on him.”_ _

__Basil returned her smile. She had such a big heart, never refused anyone. “Be careful,” he added as she ducked beneath a tree and disappeared into the foliage.  
......_ _

__The music and raucous laughter died down the deeper Ray went into the jungle. Finally, he stopped underneath a palm tree and stood with his back against the trunk. Letting out a sigh, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He hated that he almost lost it back there, but he wanted to get away before his emotions betrayed him in front of Basil and Amber._ _

__Reaching into the inside pocket of his coat, Ray pulled out his most prized possession: a small illustration of a young female mouse. Rubbing his fingers across the worn edges affectionately, he became so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice the breeze picking up until it blew the paper out of his hand._ _

__“ _Åh nej!_ ” Ray exclaimed, swiping out and jumping in the air as high as he could to grab it, but the wind kept it just beyond his reach. He chased it through the trees, tripping over rocks and tree roots trying to catch it. At last, it fluttered to the ground, and he dove down to snatch it before it could fly away again, but another hand reached out for the photo as well. Ray looked up to meet a pair of familiar brown eyes. “A-Amber?” he asked, blushing as he realized his hand was resting on top of hers and quickly snatching it away. “What are you doing here?”_ _

__Amber brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes as she explained sheepishly. “I saw you go off by yourself and… well, I was worried about you.” Realizing she was still holding the drawing, she quickly held it out to him, giving it back. Ray took it gratefully, glancing at it one more time before tucking it back inside his coat._ _

__“Who is she? If you don’t mind me asking,” Amber hastily added, thinking he might not want to share such personal things._ _

__“Helena,” Ray replied with a sad smile. “My sister.”_ _

__“Oh. I thought she might be… n-never mind,” Amber trailed off embarrassedly. “Is she your older or younger sister?” she asked to change the subject._ _

__“Younger,” Ray replied. “I’m the eldest by five years.”_ _

__“Any other siblings?”_ _

__“No, only Helena. What about you?”_ _

__“Just me. I was an only child.”_ _

__“Oh.” There was an awkward silence between the two while they walked along._ _

__“What about your mother and father?”_ _

__Ray grew very still, and Amber realized too late that she must have hit a sensitive spot for him. “My mother left years ago. My father…” Ray’s voice had grown very soft, but when he spoke of his father suddenly grew hard. “My father was an abusive asshole. It’s why I left home once I was old enough and got the money. I tried to get Helena to come with me, but she wouldn’t leave him to live alone; swore that he would change.” Ray scoffed. “The only thing to change about him was that he grew from bad to worse. I was just thankful he only took it out on me and not her. It’s why I worry about her now that I’m gone,” he remarked, his voice growing quiet again. “Sometimes I can’t help wondering maybe I was wrong to leave. I shouldn’t have left her alone with him.”_ _

__“Don’t,” Amber said stopping him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Thinking about all the ‘what-ifs’ will only torture you. Don’t do that to yourself.”_ _

__“I-I can’t help it,” Ray said in a strained voice, his shoulders trembling slightly. “My whole life has been nothing but heartache and pain. It’s all I’ve ever known.” Amber hung her head sadly. She didn’t know the half of it, but she still felt her own eyes filling with tears at all the Dane had been through. But he raised his head suddenly._ _

__“Then I met you,” he whispered, turning to her and taking her hands in his. “Life on _the Felicia_ has been hell. Oliver was the one source of comfort I had, but even he was taken away from me. But since you came, you’ve made my life so much brighter. ”_ _

__Amber smiled sheepishly. “You’ve taken care of me ever since I came on board. You’re a dear friend and I don’t know what I would do without you. So… thank you.”_ _

__Ray returned the smile and shook his head. “No, thank you,” he replied, brushing a lock of hair away from Amber’s face as she gazed up at him. “My little Valkyrie.”_ _

__Amber blushed deeper but was unable to hide a smile. “Oh, um, I meant to show you I’ve been practicing. "Rød grød med fløde." I still can’t say it right,” Amber laughed. “Is there an easier one I can try?”_ _

___“Jeg elsker dig,”_ Ray replied quietly._ _

___“Jeg elsker dig,”_ Amber repeated slowly, smiling as she found it much easier to pronounce. “What does it mean?”_ _

__“I love you.”_ _

__Taking his chance, Ray threw caution to the wind, bending down to gently to give her a kiss, something he’d been wanting to do for a long time. But as he brought his face closer to hers, he was startled when she reached her hand up to stop him, touching her fingers to his lips softly._ _

__“Ray, I…” Amber faltered, not knowing what to say. Ray’s heart sank. He had moved too soon._ _

__“I see,” Ray replied, his ears flattening as he averted his eyes. “It’s him.”_ _

__Amber’s raised her head, eyes widening in shock and feeling her cheeks burning. “W-What?” she stuttered, even though she knew exactly who he was talking about. “I don’t… I mean, I just-”_ _

__“No, you don’t have to explain. I shouldn’t have acted so impulsively. You deserve better.”_ _

__The look on his face made Amber feel even more horrible. “Ray…” She lowered her ears as her heart wrenched. “I’m sorry, Ray,” she whispered. She reached up to put a hand on his shoulder but rethought it when she saw his hands clenched by his sides._ _

__“L-Let’s just get back before the captain misses you,” Ray said tensely. Amber followed wordlessly, too embarrassed and confused about her feelings to say anything more. Once they reached the campsite, she noticed Ray stopped walking. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked timidly._ _

__“Maybe later,” Ray replied quietly, unable to meet her eyes. “I need a little more time… a-alone.”_ _

__Amber nodded understandingly, doing her best to fight back tears as she walked away. She couldn’t blame him after all. Ray remained still, watching from behind a tree as she joined the crew around the fire. But having to live with only one eye had refined his other senses, and Ray’s fur on the back of his neck stood on end as he felt a presence behind him._ _

__“Well, well. Looks like somebody’s been defying the captain.”_ _

__Ray gritted his teeth as he turned around to face Bill, who stood smirking along with a few of the crew. “Sh-Shut up, _din Øgle_ ,” Ray hissed, hoping Ratigan didn’t overhear._ _

__“Best watch your tongue boy,” Bill sneered, poking his finger on Ray’s chest. “That pretty hat’s the only thing making you first mate ‘round here. Yer still the same brat we dragged on board five years ago, an' that’s all you’ll ever be!”_ _

__Ray’s ears flattened against his head and he looked down at the ground. “I… hey!”_ _

__The lizard grinned as he snatched Ray’s hat and placed it on his own head, standing with his hands on his hips. “The crew would be better off with me as the first mate! I’m stronger, faster, taller,” some of the other crew began to laugh as Bill held the hat up above Ray’s head where he couldn’t reach it even by jumping. He tossed it to Fidget, and soon they were all throwing it around, keeping it just out of Ray’s reach._ _

__“Knock it off!” Ray growled._ _

__Bill chuckled as he twirled Ray’s hat before suddenly tossing it at him. Ray tried to catch it, but with only one eye his depth perception was a bit off so he missed. “Plus, I can catch,” Bill laughed cruelly as Ray picked the hat up and dusted off the dirt. “I’m everything you’re not. And not to mention, we all remember whose fault it was that Loran was taken."_ _

__Ray flinched. “We… we have been over that—"_ _

__“Isn’t that right, boys?” Bill said, ignoring Ray._ _

__“Yeah, it shoulda been _you_ that bloodsucker took!”_ _

__“Loran’s long dead by now.”_ _

__“All because of you!”_ _

__“He was a hundred times the first mate you’ll ever be!”_ _

__“You think I don’t know that?!” Ray retorted, his hands shaking as he balled them up into fists by his side. “It’s not my fault the captain picked me to replace him!”_ _

__“You were nothing but dirt in Ratigan’s eyes before you leeched onto Loran,” Bill sneered, “spending every second right by his side. You used Loran to get this position. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you loved him!”_ _

__Ray gulped. “I-I… that is…”_ _

__“You slept with him too, didn’t you?” Bill said, giving Ray a disgusted look. “Sleeping with others like a bloody harlot to get what you want?!”_ _

__“That’s not true, I never loved him!” Ray shouted, feeling his own heart breaking in the process. “Oliver- I mean, Loran was my friend, m-my only friend…!”_ _

__“And some friend you are! Throwing him to the wolves like you did."_ _

__“I-It was an accident!” Ray stammered desperately, looking around in panic as they closed in on him. He backed up only to have two mice grab each of his arms to hold him in place._ _

__“I’ll show you an accident,” Bill growled, cracking his knuckles before throwing a punch at Ray’s face. The others soon joined in. Ray tried to fight back, but it was hard with the two holding him back. He fell to his knees with a grunt when they finally released him._ _

__“You may be first mate for now,” Bill said as he stood over him, “but don’t forget your place. You’ll never be as great as Loran, or any of us. You’ll never be anything but a filthy little cabin boy.” After giving him one last hard kick in the ribs, Bill left with the others. With a groan, Ray tried to pick himself up out of the dirt, but fell back down painfully, wincing as he clutched his side. Those thick heavy boots of Bill’s had probably broken his ribs._ _

__Once he did finally manage to stand up, Ray staggered only a few steps before he had to stop and lean on a tree for support. Panting exhaustedly, he looked through the foliage and could see the campsite where the crew continued to play. They convinced Amber to join them once more and soon she was dancing with all the crew, taking turns with each one. Even Basil had “borrowed” a violin from one of the unconscious pirates and joined in playing a lively jig. But soon he forgot all about the violin as Amber linked her arm in his and twirled around. Dancing was something completely new to Basil, so he stumbled quite a bit, causing Amber to giggle. Then in all the chaos he lost his footing completely and collided right into Amber, knocking her to the ground and landing right on top of her. The crew laughed and cheered at the mishap, with some whistling teasingly. Both mice were stunned for a moment, nose to nose with each other. But they quickly untangled themselves and blushed furiously, embarrassed at the situation._ _

__The emotional combined with the physical pain of his broken ribs became too much for Ray. Squeezing his eyes shut, he felt himself falling and mercifully lost consciousness before making contact with the ground._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The creepy song Fidget sings was written by CherlnIDA (deviantART).  
> "Drunken Sailor" (c)Irish Rovers  
> "The Beast of Pirate's Bay" (c)Aurelio Voltaire


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for thoughts and talk of suicide.
> 
> Also, I have had a couple of readers in the past leave rude comments on this chapter when I posted it on fanfiction.net about the "gay mice." So if it's not your cup of tea, don't read on.

The next morning, once Ratigan finally got the crew awake and moving, they began loading goods from the island back onboard the Felicia. Massaging his temples to ward off the migraine forming from a serious hangover, the captain supervised all the activity, throwing in a curse or jab with his sword to get a crew member going faster when needed. As they were finishing up, Ratigan took a headcount, noticing that his Danish first mate was missing. “Where is Lehmann?” he demanded sourly.

“No one's seen him,” Bill shrugged. “Jungle cat must’ve got ‘im,” he added with a snicker.

Amber glanced at Basil worriedly. They hadn’t seen him since last night either. Ratigan sighed and gave one last look toward the jungle before returning to giving orders to board the ship. “Wait!” Amber shouted, grabbing Ratigan’s coat to try to stop him. “W-We’re not going to just leave without him, are we?!”

“Pirate’s code,” Ratigan replied simply, looking down at the girl with a cold stare. “Anyone who falls behind is left behind.”

“Since when did pirate’s follow codes?!”

“You’d be surprised! Tracing back to decades, back when the first pirates roamed the seas.”

“Strange, you don’t look that old.” Ratigan scowled but Amber simply frowned right back. “Some great pirate captain you are abandoning your own first mate?”

Ratigan was about to retort but stopped short as Ray himself came limping out from the jungle. It was a hard task trying to catch up with the crew but completely worth it once Ray saw Bill’s mouth literally drop open. “Glad you could join us, Mr. Lehmann,” Ratigan remarked sardonically. “Now that we’re all here, I think it’s high time we get off this hunk of rock. I have a serious headache."

As the others continued loading up the ship, Amber looked to Ray concernedly, noticing his ragged breathing. She put a hand to his shoulder gently. “Ray, are you alri—?”

“D-Don’t touch me,” Ray grunted, pulling away from her roughly but wincing at the sudden movement. Amber stared, too stunned to say anything else.

“She’s only trying to help,” Basil interjected, overhearing the exchange.

 _“Lad mig være I fred!”_ Ray snapped, biting back a groan as he stormed off toward the ship.

“Don’t take it personally,” Basil told Amber, trying to reassure her. “He’s always in a foul mood in the morning.” However, Amber hugged her arms tightly across herself, fighting tears as she hung her head sadly. Basil tilted his head curiously, wondering again just what had happened last night. “Amber?” When she didn’t answer, Basil tilted her head up gently. “Hey, he’ll be alright.” Amber still didn’t look convinced, but when Basil glanced back toward the crew, he noticed the Captain watching them carefully with a disapproving look in his eye. “Come on,” Basil prodded, placing his hand behind her back and gently guiding her toward the ship. “Captain won’t like us lagging behind.”

.......

As soon as everything had been loaded back onto the ship, Ratigan put the crew to work and _the Felicia_ set sail once again. Ray resumed his duties as first mate, and once he had checked to make sure everything was in its place and that everyone was doing their job, he retreated to his cabin. The day had only just begun and he was already exhausted. He just needed a quick rest, and then he would be back before anyone noticed.

However, nothing escaped the sharp eyes of the Captain. Luckily Basil was healed enough to start working again, but he was still sore and moved slower than usual. The last thing Ratigan wanted was two injured crew members. Seeing Ray limp down below deck, he called Dawson over and told the doctor to go check on him.

Down in the cabin, Ray paused by the mirror and lifted his shirt up gingerly. He inhaled sharply at the pain that shot through his side as he lifted his arm. Opening his eyes, he could see dark bruises covering his ribs where Bill had kicked him.

“That doesn’t look good.”

Ray jumped at the voice behind him, but was relieved to see it was only Dawson. Frowning, Ray tucked his shirt back in. “It’s nothing,” he murmured.

Dawson gave him a disapproving look. “You should let me take a look at—“

“I said I’m fine!” Ray growled as he pushed past Dawson out the door. Dawson could only sigh and followed him back above deck.

Down in the hold, Amber sorted through the fruits and other supplies the crew had gathered on the island, separating out the bad rotten ones and putting the good into barrels so they wouldn’t spoil. She had retreated below as soon as they had gotten on the ship, too upset to have to face Ray after what had happened the night before. After gathering a basket full of food, she took it up to the galley to use for supper later that evening. As she was washing the fruits to make sure they were clean, her ears perked up as she heard a commotion up on the deck. Drying her hands on her skirt, she raced up the steps to see what was going on.

The crew was gathered in a circle around something, and Amber's heart leaped as she heard someone yelling in pain. She elbowed her way through the crowd until she reached the middle where Ray was curled up in a ball on his side, clutching his ribs and groaning in agony. “Get back, give him some space!” Basil was shouting, kneeling beside Ray trying to keep the crew away from him. Amber knelt down too and put a hand on Ray’s shoulder, speaking softly to try to calm him down, but he was still writhing in pain.

“What happened to him?” Amber asked worriedly.

“He fell from the mast,” Basil answered. “He was rigging some sails and just… I don’t know if he lost his footing or what happened.” He growled in aggravation as the crew continued crowding around them. “Ugh, where’s Dawson?!”

“Here,” Dawson said, pushing through so he could get to Ray. “Ray, where does it hurt?”

“M-My ribs…!” Ray gasped, squeezing his eyes shut.

“But you fell on your back…” Dawson murmured, then froze as he remembered the bruises he saw earlier. “Help me turn him over,” he quickly instructed. Amber held Ray’s head in her hands while Basil helped hold him still. Once they managed to get Ray on his back, Dawson lifted Ray’s shirt to reveal the bruises on his ribs.

“Oh, god,” Amber gasped.

“Do you think something's broken?” Basil asked concernedly.

“Most likely,” Dawson answered, wincing as Ray cried out when he touched them. “I saw the bruises earlier, but he wouldn’t let me get a good look at them. This fall probably made it worse.”

Hearing chuckling behind her, Amber whirled around to see Bill standing nearby, a smug grin on his face. Glaring at him, she was about to say something until the loud voice of the Captain broke in. “What the blazes is going on here?! Out of my way, back to work y’ dogs!” Once the crowd had scrambled out of the way, Ratigan approached the scene with the usual scowl on his face. “What happened to Lehmann?”

“Poor thing fell from the mast, Cap’n,” Bill answered, feigning concern.

Ratigan frowned. “Is he dying?”

“No,” Dawson replied, “but his ribs are badly broken—”

“Then I want him fixed up and back on his feet by sunset.”

All three mice stared at the rat in shock. “Captain, there’s no possible way he can work in this condition,” Dawson replied. “If he moves too much the broken bone could puncture a lung and kill him. He needs time to heal—“

“I knew this would happen,” Ratigan growled. He pointed an accusing finger at Basil. “I knew after I allowed you time off that others would want the same!”

“I’ll do his share of the work along with mine,” Basil replied evenly, returning Ratigan’s glare.

“How noble of you,” Ratigan laughed. “But a cabin boy doesn’t know the duties of a first mate!”

“I would be glad to fill the job temporarily, Cap’n,” Bill spoke up again. Ray’s eyes widened and he shook his head, making an effort to get up but fell back down with a groan. "The doctor’s got a point,” Bill continued. “He’s clearly in no condition to work. He’d only be a nuisance. Let _me_ take the burden off your hands. I have the most experience, and I can handle the crew. I’m perfect for the job.”

Ratigan scoffed. “I’d hardly say perfect… but I suppose you’ll do.”

“T’would be an honor, Captain,” Bill replied solemnly. Once the Captain had gone back to his cabin, Bill was unable to hide a grin of delight as he swept up Ray’s fallen hat and placed it on his own head before walking away and bellowing out orders.

“That slimy little—! Ah!” Ray cried out as pain hit again. “Ugh, it hurts to even breathe—“ he gasped.

“Moving isn’t going to help either,” Dawson replied softly but sternly. “Don’t even try to talk. Just relax and try not to move too much. Basil, help me carry him, would you?"

Amber followed close behind as the two mice carried Ray down to his cabin but stopped as a blinding light shined in her eyes. Putting her hand up to shield her eyes, she looked around until she found a little mirror on the floor just small enough to fit inside a pocket. Curious, she aimed the glassy surface towards the sun and shined the reflected light up in the air... 

Amber nearly gasped out loud. Someone made Ray fall on purpose. Someone had blinded him temporarily to make him lose balance and fall. With a glaring look, she stared at Bill sauntering around wearing Ray’s hat, having a pretty good idea who had orchestrated the whole scheme.

.......

Ray spent the next several days in his cabin curled up on his bed in agony. He didn’t even feel like eating, and the pain kept him awake at night. Having all this time to himself and his thoughts didn’t help matters. Losing Oliver, Amber rejecting him, beaten by his own crew, being stuck on this bloody ship for five years... it was all too much to bear. He couldn’t stand it a minute longer.

Biting back a groan, Ray painfully got out of bed and staggered outside, stumbling up the steps leading up to the deck. The noises alerted Basil, who was already too restless to sleep, especially with the sound of thunder from a storm rolling in. Moving quietly so as not to awaken the crew, Basil went up to the deck and was stunned to see that even in the rain Ray had somehow climbed up the mast and was standing looking down into the sea. Panting tiredly, Ray took a shaky step closer to the edge.

 _He’s going to jump,_ Basil thought in horror. “Ray!” Basil called out, climbing up the ratlines as fast as he could. “Ray, stop! What are you doing?!” 

Ray turned around slowly and stared, tears streaming down his cheeks and mixing with the rain. Basil carefully walked toward him, reaching a hand out toward him. “Come on, Ray. Take my hand,” Basil instructed softly, inching forward. Ray hesitated, shivering as he glanced back at the ocean. But he finally put his hand in Basil’s and leaned his head against his chest, letting the tears fall. Before he could get away Basil carefully carried Ray down to the deck again, where both slipped on the wet floor and collapsed. "Ugh, you alright, Ray? Come on, get up."

Ray stirred, his mind fuzzy, feeling like his chest was cracked like a statue that had split. He slowly looked up, hearing a white noise through his ears when his eyes widened. Stomach empty like a dry pint but mind full of hopelessness, he had recognized that dark grey fur and blue eyes. "Oliver?" Ray whispered. He slowly approached Basil and felt his cheek, "You came back to me. I thought you were killed."

Basil blushed embarrassedly and tried to back up. "Oliver? I-I'm not Oliver, I'm-!"

"I left you out there,” Ray continued, eyes looking dazed and out of focus. “I left you with that bloodsucking pirate...” Ray’s voice started shaking. “It should have been me! I was the one he wanted until you jumped in between! You should have let him take _me!_ "

"Ray—"

"I'm sorry I left you! I never hated you!" Ray sobbed into Basil’s chest. "I... I really did love you.”

Basil blushed at the close contact but reluctantly placed his arms around Ray, knowing he needed it. "But why end it like this?" he asked.

“Because who... who would want a p-pathetic whelp like me who can't even fight? Can't stand up for himself. I-I can't even have the girl I love and Oliver— Oliver, I'm sorry. I can't be on this ship anymore, no less this world. There's nothing left for me." Tears brimmed in Ray’s eyes as he looked up at Basil. “I’m sorry, Oliver.”

Basil froze as Ray slowly felt Basil's cheek and brought his face to his. The shorter mouse swallowed and finally leaned in, bringing their mouths together into a deep kiss. Basil could feel the heat of his mouth and the smell of the sea from Ray and melted into the kiss for _just_ a moment before coming to his senses and forcing Ray away from him. "Are you out of your mind?!"

Basil’s yelp caused Ray to finally snap out of it, and his eye widened in horror as it slowly dawned on him. “Oh, _shit_...”

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Basil spluttered.

“I didn’t— I just— I don’t know!” Ray groaned, holding his head in his hands. “My head feels funny...”

"Maybe it's because your stomach is empty,” Basil stammered awkwardly, still blushing and trying to forget the feel of Ray’s tongue in his mouth. “Either that or you're drunk or hungover from last night. Either way, it’s made you hallucinate and suicidal.” Noticing Ray sway unsteadily, Basil caught him before he could fall and gathered him up in his arms. “Let’s get you back in bed with something to eat before things progress any further.”

“Why?” Ray asked tiredly.

“Well, people will talk, and I really don’t want the crew to have another reason to bully either one of us—"

“No, I mean, why do you care? I-” Ray’s ears perked down sadly and he looked down. “I whipped you. I tried to kill you in a fight. You should have let me jump, I should be dead. Why should you help a pirate like me?”

“Friends have to look out for each other,” Basil replied, causing Ray to look up at him with shock. “Especially on this ship with that monster,” Basil added quietly.

Ray didn’t know what to say. The only other person he’d considered a friend had been Oliver. But now, for the first time in years, he had real allies. Basil, Dawson, even Amber, although Ray didn’t expect things to be the same between them anymore. But hearing Basil admit that he considered Ray a friend- for the first time in years, he felt wanted. Ray held on to Basil tighter as he carried him back down into the ship to his cabin.

Once he got Ray in bed, Basil pulled the covers up and straightened the pillows, making sure he was comfortable. “I’ll go get Dawson to check on you, make sure you’re not hurt worse,” Basil said turning to go.

“Wait, Basil?” Ray called out softly.

Basil paused at the door. “Yes?”

“Thank you. For saving me from doing something stupid.”

“You’re welcome,” Basil replied with a smile.

“A-and I’m really sorry about the... um, y-you know...”

Basil felt his cheeks burning. “It was meant for another. I understand.”

Ray was still blushing even after Basil had left. He groaned laid his head back against the pillows tiredly, almost dozing off until he was awoken by Basil returning with Dawson. The doctor carefully checked his wounds, ensuring no harm was done while Basil watched, feeling a little helpless. “Shouldn’t we bandage him or something?”

“No, wrapping bandages around him will only prevent his lungs from expanding properly and cause more pain," Dawson explained. "And unfortunately, with broken ribs, you basically just have to let it heal itself.”

Basil winced. “Can we at least relieve the pain somehow?”

“I was too intoxicated to think to grab some painkillers when we raided that apothecary,” Dawson admitted sheepishly. “But natural foods actually have some healing properties as well. I’ll go see if I can cook something up.”

“What about rum?” Ray groaned, breathing heavily.

Basil looked at Dawson. “It’ll numb the pain at least.” Dawson hesitated but finally nodded, and both mice hurried to get the items, leaving Ray to rest in peace and quiet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for attempted murder and a brief surgery-like scene (broken bones and collapsed lung). It's not too incredibly detailed, but I know that can be kind of squicky for some people so be warned.

As Basil brought back the rum for Ray, he saw Amber standing outside Ray’s door peeking inside at him worriedly. "Everything ok?"

Amber squeaked in surprise at Basil’s voice behind her. "Y-Yes. How is Ray doing? Is he ok?"

"Why don’t you ask him yourself?" Basil chuckled. However, the smile faded as Amber looked down at the ground ashamedly.

"I-I don’t want to disturb him," she muttered, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "I… I gotta go wash dishes or something."

"Hey, wait!" Basil called, causing Amber to turn back around. He stammered embarrassedly as Amber looked up at him. "Um, it’s just…You’ve been awful quiet since we left the island. Are you sure you’re alright?"

"I’m fine, really," Amber replied, keeping her eyes on the floor. "I just wish there was something I could do to help."

"Would you want to get some food for him?" Basil offered. "He almost starved himself to death so something to eat might help him gain a little strength back."

Amber nodded before heading down to the ship’s galley. Basil watched, feeling awful that she seemed so sad but not knowing what he should do to help or if he should just leave her in peace. He didn’t want to be intrusive. Instead, he went inside Ray’s cabin to give him the rum he requested, but Ray had already lost consciousness again. Basil set the bottle on a table beside the bed so it was within Ray’s reach when he awoke and retreated out of the cabin, going back to his post before he was missed.  
...........

"I feel so bad for hurting Ray the other night," Amber said sadly to herself. She looked around the kitchen until her eyes fell on a big stew pot. "I hope this can help to begin making it up to him. Soup ought to be easy to make. And since Ray needs his strength, a vegetable soup oughta do it. I just hope not all of the vegetables on this ship have gone rotten. Maybe they bought some new ones from the island for me to work with."

Amber went to the pantry and carefully picked out vegetables and some herbs to add to the soup to help tend to Ray's weak body. Her ears perked up when she saw a basket of fresh coconuts. She wondered if she could brew the coconut water into a soothing tea of some sort instead of using regular water? Couldn't hurt to try. 

Taking two coconuts from the basket, she was easily able to get the water out of them by using a corkscrew to drill a hole in one of the eyes of the coconut. Once she had added it to the pot and set it to brew, she looked curiously at the leftover shells. It would be a waste to just throw the whole thing out. Maybe she could add pieces of the "meat" inside the shell to add to the stew for extra flavor and nutrients. The hard part would be breaking them open.

Humming to herself, Amber looked around for something to crack the nut open. The best she could find was a hammer. She turned the coconut on its side where the seam was facing up and took a gentle whack at it. Nothing happened as the shell was a lot harder than she expected. Squaring her shoulders determinedly, she reared back and took a harder swing at the shell just as Bill walked in.

"When's supper, Missy? I'm starved- yeowch!" Bill exclaimed as the first coconut split apart and a piece of it flew across the room and hit him in the head, starting him and knocking him down on his tail.

"Sorry, Bill!" Amber chuckled nervously. "I'm, uh, working on supper now," she lied, not wanting the lizard to bother Ray any further after all her suspicions about him. "I hope you boys like coconuts!" 

Captain Ratigan soon walked in and noticed Bill sprawled on the floor nursing the bump growing on his head. "Bootstrap, there you are! Get back up the ratlines before I jerk a knot in your tail and— gah!!!" The second coconut split as Amber struck it, another piece flying and striking Ratigan in the eye.

"Sorry, Captain!" Amber called nervously as Ratigan and Bill quickly retreated out of the room muttering curses. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and sighed. "Ugh, who knew soup would be this much trouble to make?"  
.......

A while later, Dawson returned to Ray's cabin with the soup and tea that Amber had made and continued to tend to Ray’s wounds as he awoke. "Good thing Basil came and saved you just in time last night," Dawson remarked.

"Yeah," Ray agreed, then his eye got wide. "Wait. How did you know that?"

"I saw it," Dawson answered with a shrug. "I felt seasick and walked out to get some fresh air, and I saw you both."

"Y-you did?" Ray stammered nervously. "Did you also see...?"

Dawson chuckle. "Yes, but don't worry, I will not tell. Now sit back and I’ll take a look at your wounds, see how it’s healing."

Ray quietly obeyed, thankful that the doctor didn’t dwell on the embarrassing scene with Basil. He inhaled sharply as Dawson gently touched his ribs feeling for the broken bone but bit back a cry of pain.

"Sorry," Dawson said apologetically. He kept talking to try to distract Ray from the pain. "I wish it had been your arm or leg instead. At least then I could set it. It’s hard to do anything with a broken rib. You have to just let it heal slowly on its own." Dawson trailed off as he spotted a mark on Ray’s chest. "Is this a... burn?" Ray tried to protest as Dawson pulled his shirt open more but was too weak to stop him. Dawson’s eyes grew wide now that he saw the spot more clearly; a burn mark in the shape of the letter R right under Ray’s collarbone.

"You were branded. Just like Basil," Dawson whispered. Ray lowered his ears and looked down at the floor. "You’re not a pirate. You were taken hostage like us!"

"Please don’t tell," Ray nearly begged. "I don’t want to be seen as property again. I’m finally something, I’m the first mate! I can’t lose that."

Dawson’s heart wrenched at the look on Ray’s face. He put a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone, I promise. But we have to get you healed and on your feet again if you want your title back. So that means no more shenanigans like wandering off in the middle of the night or climbing the mast like a monkey or starving yourself half to death. Got it?"

Ray couldn’t help a small smile at that. "Your bedside manner is terrible."

"I’ve spent most of my life mending stubborn sailors like you," Dawson chuckled. "I have to be stern! Now, shut up and eat this." Dawson picked up a bowl of soup nearby. "And drink this tea too."

Ray looked down at the concoction uncertainly before pushing the bowl away and completely ignored the tea. "I don’t think I'm that hungry. Can't I have rum instead?"

"You can't survive off of just rum," Dawson took a spoonful of the soup and held it near Ray’s mouth. "Open up."

"I can feed myself!" Ray snatched the spoon out of Dawson’s hand and took a bite, chewing slowly and took a small sip of the tea. "Not bad, actually."

Dawson smiled. "See? And it'll heal your bones and muscles over time. A shaman once taught me such medicine during my trip to China. It'll soothe your body, heart, and soul. It might not do much for now, but it's better than feeling half dead now, isn’t it?"

"I don’t feel so dead anymore," Ray replied, managing a smile of his own. "Not now that I have friends."

Dawson smiled. "Speaking of friends..." he remarked as a knock sounded on the door and Amber stuck her head inside.

"May I come in?"

"Of course," Dawson answered. "Actually, would you mind sitting with him while I fetch some more supplies? This ship is severely lacking with medical equipment, so I’ll have to scrounge around for substitutes."

"I, um…" Amber tried to answer, but Dawson had already gone before she could protest. Glancing at Ray, she sheepishly stood against the wall.

"You can sit here if you want," Ray offered quietly, patting the spot on the bed beside him. She nodded and gently took the seat, moving carefully to avoid hurting him.

"Was the soup ok?" Amber asked, attempting to break the awkward silence. "I, um, had a difficult time with the coconuts..."

Ray’s eye shot open. "Wait, you made the soup? But Dawson said—?!" Ray stopped when he saw Amber’s curious expression and bit his lip. "Um, it was delicious," he said instead, smiling slightly. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome," Amber replied, returning the smile and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear shyly. She winced as Ray grunted when he moved to try to get more comfortable and helped position the pillow behind his back. "Better?"

"A little. Ugh, I can’t even breathe without hurting. It’s going to be so boring stuck in here by myself."

"I guess we’ll have to keep you entertained," Amber chuckled. She blushed nervously, again remembering what happened on the beach. "But if you want to be left alone to rest I understand."

"No!" Ray replied, blushing as she stared. "I-I mean… I would love some company."

"Ok," Amber said with a smile. They didn’t speak much, still feeling awkward after Ray’s attempt to kiss her, but both just enjoyed each other’s company. 

Amber glanced up at a rumbling sound overhead. "Sounds like another storm coming," Ray remarked.

Amber nodded. "Ever heard the story of the Hekatonkeires?" Ray looked up in interest. "Three gods of violent storms and hurricanes. Their own father imprisoned them in fear of their power, but Zeus freed them so they would help him in his war with the Titans and become master of the skies. Their power was so great it moved rocks as big as mountains, overwhelming and defeating the Titans."

"Amazing," Ray remarked in awe.

Amber laughed. "Do you believe stories like that? Do you think it actually happened?"

"Who knows?" Ray shrugged. "I used to think Fane cel Rau was a myth till I saw him with my own eye."

Amber was quiet for a few moments after that. "Have you ever seen a sea serpent?"

"No. But have you seen that skull with the sharp teeth hanging above the Captain’s door? They say that was a serpent that Ratigan killed with his bare hands."

This time Amber’s eyes grew wide. "What about mermaids?"

Ray laughed. "Now that’s just superstition."

"Well, well, well. Disobeying orders again are we?" Ray looked up as he was interrupted, his eye wide as he saw Bill stood at the door smirking at them.

"T-Technically I do not!" Ray stammered. "The captain said that I should stay away from Amber and Basil. Not that they should stay away from me. She is here on her own, I did not go to her!"

Bill just scoffed before turning on his heel to leave. "We’ll see what the captain has to say about it."

Ray made a move to stand up but was still too hurt to move, so he fell back on the pillow with a frustrated groan.

"You are still not allowed to talk with us?" Amber asked.

"I don't know for sure. The captain allowed it the other night on the island, but..." he trailed off worriedly.

Amber nodded. "Has he always been so cruel?"

"Ever since I’ve known him," Ray replied, stirring the soup with his spoon absentmindedly. "But he was different when Oliver was still here. When we lost him, it was like Ratigan lost his right hand. I’ve never been able to deal with the captain like Oliver did. He knew Ratigan better than anyone. He was the only one who could calm him down when he was angry, and he was the only one Ratigan would ever listen to."

Amber looked up at Ray, noticing how fondly he spoke of Loran. "He was your friend too," Amber said softly. 

"More than that," Ray whispered silently. He looked up as Amber put her hand over his, and he gripped it tightly, neither needing to say another word.  
.........

A few days later as Ray continued to heal, he was feeling well enough to try walking again and slowly made his way up above deck to get some fresh air. He stuck close to the rails to have something to hold onto so he wouldn’t fall but was pleased to see he could get around a little easier. Basil smiled and stopped mopping the deck as he saw Ray and went to him. "Good to see you up and about," Basil greeted him.

Ray grinned, lighting a cigarette to distract himself from the pain and offering one to Basil, who took it gratefully. "I had to get out of that tiny room. I missed the sun and the sea."

Before he could get Basil’s cigarette lit Bill stormed over, his boots clomping loudly against the deck. "Hey! I didn’t give you permission to abandon yer post!" he yelled at Basil, swiping Basil’s cig and throwing it into the ocean. "Get back to work!"

Basil seethed, glancing at Ray, but since he was temporarily the first mate, he was forced to obey Bill’s orders. "Aye, sir." Bill watched with satisfaction as Basil went back to the bucket and mop and continued swabbing the deck where he left off.

"You are really good at destroying good moments," Ray muttered.

"And you are really bad at following orders!" Bill retorted. "If yer gonna be up here with the rest of us you should be put to work. So get back below and finish healing like the captain said."

"Since when did you start to care if heal?" Ray asked with a frown.

"If it was up to me, you wouldn't lie in the bed. You'd be at the bottom of the ocean," Bill answered as he swiped Ray's cigarette out of his mouth and put it in his own. "So unless you wanna join Basil I suggest ya crawl back down in the hold with the rest of the bilge," Bill smirked, blowing smoke in Ray’s face.

"I don't take orders from you, _din Øgle_!"

"You do for now until you are able to resume the duty yourself." 

Ray cringed at the sound of the captain's voice behind him and turned slowly, wincing as the slight movement caused a sharp pain to shoot through his ribs. "But Captain, sir, I—"

"No buts, Lehmann! I have no use for you until yer healed, so do as the lizard says and get back below."

"A-Aye, Captain," Ray replied, obediently returning to his cabin. As he left Bill waved to him in a teasing way.

"Rest well, princess."

Ray felt his cheeks burning red with embarrassment, but he bit his tongue and did as the captain had said. But after seeing the whole exchange Basil couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer. Once Ratigan was out of earshot, Basil grabbed Bill by the collar of his shirt. "You may have the captain fooled, but you’re not fooling me," Basil hissed. "You won’t get away with what you did to Ray."

Bill stared with his mouth open, startled at first, but a sly grin spread on his face as he chuckled. "I already have," he replied, pointing at the hat on his head. Basil pushed him up against the wall in response.

"Not for long you won’t," Basil growled. "As soon as Ray heals you’ll be just another part of the crew again."

Bill grunted at the impact of hitting the wall. "Not when the captain sees how much better I am at the job!"

"I doubt it," Basil replied. "Loran wouldn’t approve of you for the job either."

"Loran?" Bill scoffed. "What do _you_ know about Loran? That little brat only got to be first mate ‘cuz he slept with Loran!" Basil’s cheeks turned red as he remembered the kiss and how Ray had acted when he thought he was Oliver. "He's dead now anyway, so his opinion doesn't matter. And he's dead because of that little runt!" 

Bill finally managed to pull himself out of Basil’s grasp. "What’s it matter to you anyway? He got you in trouble an’ whipped you, plus he's trying to take yer girl," Bill sneered. Basil's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "What, you don't think I haven't seen the looks between you three? The whole crew sees it. So why do you care about a pirate like him?"

"He’s not a pirate. He’s a good mouse." Basil poked his finger on Bill’s chest as he glared down at the lizard. "And he’s ten times the man you’ll ever be."

Bill almost cringed at the hatred burning in Basil’s eyes, but he managed to glare right back. "We’ll see about that." Bill swatted Basil’s hand away. "Now I suggest you get yer arse back to work before I flay the hide off yer back m’self."

After Basil returned to his task, Bill glanced back at the steps leading down into the hold with narrowed eyes, thinking of Basil's words. "He's healing faster than I thought," Bill remarked quietly to Fidget. "Won't be long before he's back on his feet fer good."

"Wot ya gonna do 'bout it?" Fidget asked in his scraggly voice.

Bill glanced over his shoulder at Basil. "We'll wait til later tonight after the doc, cabin boy, and the girl is fast asleep. Then we'll pay a visit to our precious little Dane," he added with a savage grin. "Git the boys ready after the rest of the crew is sleepin', then meet me by Lehmann's cabin. Time for the runt to hang up his hat... permanently."  
.....

Ray had just drifted off to sleep when he heard a noise by the side of his bed. Opening his eye drowsily he was startled to see several shapes leaning over him in the dark. "Aw, how snug and comfy y’ look." Ray’s heart leaped at the sound of Bill’s voice. "Almost a shame to disturb ‘im, isn’t it boys?"

"’E’s healing so good. We can’t ‘ave that," Ray heard Fidget snicker.

As the group closed in on him Ray drew a knife he always kept on his person for protection, but one of the other pirates easily caught his hand and twisted it, making Ray drop the weapon. Pinning his arms and legs down, the other pirates held Ray in place as Bill loomed over him.

"I’m glad you’ll be awake for this," Bill hissed into Ray’s ear. "What was it the doctor said?" he added with an eerie smile. "A punctured lung can kill?"

Ray’s eye widened as he realized what they were about to do. He struggled in vain as Bill put his hand on Ray’s side and pushed down hard. Ray opened his mouth to scream but someone covered his mouth to keep him from being heard. Making a fist, Bill ground his knuckles into Ray’s ribs, causing him to cry out in pain, his screams muffled by the bigger pirates' hands. He was already struggling to get a breath, which was even more difficult with the pirate's huge paw covering his mouth.

"Can’t wait to see the look on everyone's faces when they find yer cold, dead corpse in the mornin'," Bill sneered, leaning in close to Ray's face. "Sure, the lass might shed a few tears, and the cap'n will be upset to lose a worker; but luckily I’ll be there to take yer place. You may have tricked Loran into thinking you could be one of the crew, but not us, brat. But don't worry. We’ll be sure to send ya off nice an' snug to Davy Jone’s locker."

Tears streamed out of Ray’s one eye as Bill increased the pressure on his ribs until finally, he felt the snap. Bill felt it too and grinned cruelly as Ray gasped desperately in agonizing pain. The lizard stroked Ray's hair like a mother tucking her child into bed. "Sweet dreams, Lehmann," Bill whispered next to Ray's ear. And that was the last thing Ray heard before everything went black.

.......

As Amber headed toward her own room to go to bed, she passed by the crew's quarters, grimacing at the stench and the noises coming from the pirates. Among the loud snores, she could also hear sounds of groaning. Curious, she tiptoed forward until she found Basil, covered in sweat and clenching the sheets tightly. She felt her cheeks grow hot as Basil arched his back and let out another low moan. She was about to hurriedly walk away when she heard an unmistakable name slip from Basil's lips.

"Ray."

For some horrifying reason, Amber was rooted to the spot instead of getting out of there as fast as she could. Maybe she misheard... 

"Ray. Ngh, Ray..." 

Nope, she definitely did not mishear. Before she could run, Basil suddenly startled awake from the dream and sat upright gasping when he saw the figure standing beside him, nearly falling out of his hammock as he got tangled up in the sheets. "Wha... Oh, Amber, it's you," Basil sighed in relief. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Amber blinked and then fidgeted with her skirt sheepishly. "Um... y-yeah, everything's fine," she whispered so as not to wake anyone else. "I was passing by and heard..." Thank goodness it was dark so he didn't see her blush deepening. "Um, you know what? Nevermind. Goodnight."

Basil looked confused at first, then a look of horror came on his face as the dream came back to him. "Oh, no. Please tell me you didn't hear what I think you did."

Amber groaned quietly and covered her face with both hands. "I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to! I was just passing by and thought you were in pain or something, not... oh, god, I'm sorry."

"It was just a nightmare, I swear!" Basil retorted quickly. "Yeah, a-a nightmare."

"Didn't sound like a nightmare," Amber mumbled. "And your cheeks are red."

"S-So are yours!" Basil stammered, causing Amber to blush harder.

"Um... G-Goodnight, Basil."

Once she was gone Basil facepalmed and fell back on the pillow with a groan. "Dammit Basil, you’ve been out at sea too long."

........

Just as the sun began to rise early the next day, the crew began readying the ship to sail on her course. As Basil passed by Ray's door he heard a slight noise from inside and stuck his head inside the darkened cabin.

"Ray? Everything alright?"

Basil's eyes widened as he saw Ray's face twisted in pain and gasping for breath. "B-Ba... He-Hel...p, pl-please...!"

Basil rushed over to Ray's side. "What the- what's wrong?!" Ray just stared helplessly, clutching his chest and hyperventelating. "Hold on, I'll get Dawson," Basil said as he sprinted out the door. He found Dawson walking up the steps to go above deck and practically dragged him back down, causing the doctor to protest.

"What in the blazes has gotten into you?!"

"It's Ray, something's wrong!" Basil replied urgently, tugging on Dawson's sleeve. Dawson needed no further persuasion and brushed past Basil into Ray's cabin. He quickly made his way to the now unconscious mouse's bedside, putting a hand in front of Ray's mouth. Basil became more worried at the doctor's expression. "What's wrong with him?!"

"He's not breathing." Dawson leaned his head down to Ray's chest and let out a small sigh of relief, but there was still a sense of urgency in his voice. "Thank god his heart's still beating. Give me your knife." Basil hastily obeyed, watching with horror as Dawson ripped open Ray's shirt and began cutting on his chest. He had no time to question as Dawson's instincts took over as he continued giving instructions. "I need something to let the air into his lungs. A pipe, a tube, something hollow..."

"Bamboo?" Basil asked hopefully.

"Perfect," Dawson replied. "I'll need some clean cloth and some water too." Dawson looked up as Basil stood there partially in shock, watching as Dawson stood with his hand literally inside Ray's chest. "Go, now!" Dawson urged. Once Basil returned a few minutes later with the proper items, Dawson resumed his work. "I'll need another set of hands to help," Dawson said, looking up at Basil.

Basil nodded, staring down at Ray worriedly. "What do you need me to do?"

"Put your hands here." Basil felt his stomach churn as Dawson indicated he should put his hands into Ray's side. "I need both my hands free so I can work." Dawson looked up as Basil still stood rooted to the spot. "That's an order!" Dawson barked, his military background coming through as he snapped at Basil to wake him out of his stupor. "His life depends on it," he added urgently.

That seemed to do the trick as Basil snapped to attention and obeyed the doctor's order, placing his hands exactly where Dawson showed him. Basil had to look away as Dawson inserted a very thin hollow piece of bamboo inside Ray's chest, creating a make-shift tube that kept the hole open so he could breathe. As he looked away Basil gasped as his eyes fell on the burn below Ray's collarbone. "He's branded," Basil remarked quietly, causing Dawson to glance up. "All this time and he never said..."

"It's not exactly something to be proud of," Dawson replied with a sad look.

"I know," Basil nodded, looking down at his own mark on his wrist. "I just don't understand. He's the first mate! If he's a prisoner then how did he become first mate?"

"Survival," Dawson answered simply. "When you were captured by Ratigan, you learned quickly that rebellion wasn't the best move, correct?" Basil looked away, lowering his ears. "I think Ray learned that lesson the hard way too," Dawson added quietly.

Basil grew quiet at that, remembering all the deep whiplashes and scars on Ray's body. Glancing at Ray's eyepatch covering his missing left eye, Basil wondered just how much had it taken to break Ray and how on earth he had endured this long. 

"That should do it," Dawson with a small sigh of relief, breaking Basil from his thoughts. "It saved his life, anyhow." When Basil didn't reply, Dawson looked up to see the young mouse staring down at his bloodstained hands. Since he had tended to Basil's wounds himself, Dawson had heard the story of Basil disobeying the captain yet ended up killing the enemy pirate, though it was an accident. The doctor felt a pang in his heart as he saw the terrified look in Basil's eyes, a look he'd seen many times before in battle after a sailor's first kill.

"B-Blood. So much blood..." Basil muttered, his voice barely a whisper as his eyes watered and he began trembling, flooded with memories. Dawson thought Basil was about to faint, but thankfully Amber appeared at the door just in time.

"Take him outside please," Dawson asked her, still trying to staunch the bleeding from Ray's chest.

"What's going on?" Amber gasped as she took in the scene.

"He's in shock," Dawson intervened. "Ray had taken a turn for the worse, though I think Basil and I managed to save him. But I think literally having blood on his hands is bringing back bad memories. Could you take him outside to get some air, calm him down?"

Amber swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, taking Basil gently by the arm and guiding him outside. She tried to steer him toward the deck, but after a few steps, Basil collapsed to his knees, still staring ahead listlessly. Amber quickly found a rag nearby and began cleaning the sticky red substance from his hands. Seeing that Basil was still trembling, Amber embraced him and rubbed his back gently, slightly rocking him soothingly as she spoke softly to him. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end as Amber heard a chuckle behind her.

"All that blood," Bill said as he approached. "And it's all Ray's."

Amber glared at the lizard as his cruel remark caused Basil to flinch. She turned back to Basil. "But you saved him."

Bill's mouth fell open at the news. "W-What?!" he spluttered.

Amber ignored him, taking Basil's face in her hands. "If it weren't for you, Ray would have died. You saved his life, Basil."

Bill left the two mice to themselves and stormed off. Seething with rage, he kicked over a barrel. Not realizing how thick the barrel was, Bill yowled, hopping around on one foot before limping away, cursing his luck under his breath.  
........

Hours after Dawson successfully finished the operation, Ray groaned as he came to. Although it was still difficult to breathe thankfully he found it much easier than before, though each gasp for air made his chest burn painfully. His eye soon fluttered open, but his heart nearly stopped at what he saw. At first, he thought he might be dreaming, but a flair of pain shot through his chest as he touched the piece of bamboo sticking out of his chest. As a result, he opened his mouth and screamed in shock.

Seconds later Dawson burst through the door after hearing the yell. "Miss Amber, is that you-? Ray?! I thought I heard a woman scream!"

Ray was too shocked to retort. "What the…! H-How... What the hell did you do to me?!" he shouted.

"It's only temporary," Dawson explained, holding his hands up defensively. "It'll help you to breathe-"

"Help me?! I've been impaled!!!"

Dawson sighed and rolled his eyes, going to Ray's side. "How do you feel?" Ray let out a string of curses in Danish in reply. "I know, it's uncomfortable. And I hate to say it, but you will get used to it."

Ray's eye opened wide. "How long am I going to have to keep this thing inside me?!"

Dawson rubbed the back of his neck. "It depends on how fast you heal. A few weeks possibly." Ray groaned in frustration and then winced, the pain causing him to breathe harder which in turn made the pain worse. Dawson patted his shoulder gently. "Easy now. You have to learn to control your breathing. Take slow, even breaths, not too deep, but not shallow enough that it keeps you from getting air in your lungs. Like this, see? Breathe in... and now breathe out. In... and out." Ray imitated Dawson, inhaling and exhaling slowly and evenly. Once he got the proper rhythm he found it really didn't hurt as much.

A few minutes later Amber and Basil joined them. Basil was finally back to his old self though still worried about Ray's health. "What happened last night to make you worse?" he asked curiously.

"I don’t know," Ray replied honestly, not remembering the incident with Bill and the others almost killing him. "I just remember waking up and not being able to breathe."

Basil's ears flattened when he heard the captain's voice above deck. "We better go," he said to Dawson. "Captain won't like it that we're not working yet."

"I should go too," Amber agreed. "I'll bring you something to eat soon," she added to Ray before leaving with the others.

Ray settled back against the pillows, but before he could get comfortable the door opened again. Ray winced as the captain himself walked in.

"Everything alright in here?" Ratigan asked with a raised eyebrow. "A few minutes ago I heard a woman scream."

"Argh, come on!" Ray groaned. As Ratigan glanced at the bamboo in Ray's chest curiously, Ray explained. "Doctor says I have to have it. It helps me breathe and is keeping me alive." Ray gulped when he saw the disapproval in Ratigan's eyes. After being the first mate for so long he was almost able to read the captain's thoughts. "It's only for a little while. And then I can work again."

Ray almost let out a sigh of relief when Ratigan nodded. "Right. Erm... anything you need?"

Ray stared at first, shocked that his captain was actually asking him if he needed help when normally it was Ray who waited on him. "Um... it would be nice to go above deck for a few minutes."

Ratigan hesitated. "I don't think that's the best idea. You should stay in bed. The sooner you heal the sooner you can get back to yer duties as first mate." He stopped when Ray gestured at his chest.

"I have bamboo stuck in my chest to help me breathe. Can I please get just a little fresh air?"

Ray met the captain's gaze as he seemed to think the matter over. Moments later Ratigan let out a defeated sigh. "Yer as stubborn as Loran," he muttered.

Ray looked up surprised. Was the captain complimenting him? "I learned from him," Ray replied, earning a laugh from Ratigan.

"Well, they always say the dog does look like his owner," Ratigan chuckled. Ah, of course not. Ray's ears flattened and he looked down at the floor, feeling a little hurt and degraded from the implication that he was still only viewed as a piece of property in the captain's eyes. Ever since he'd been brought on _the Felicia,_ Oliver had taken him under his wing, and Ratigan had let him "keep" Ray like a stray puppy. But Ray didn't really mind it since Oliver had treated him so well. Ratigan was a different story.

"Come on, then," Ratigan said, extending his hand. Ray stared at the captain's hand tentatively, which was so much bigger than his own. "Well don't just sit there, Lehmann. Let's take a walk. Cap'n's orders," he added with a rare smile.

Ray returned the smile, trying not to show his nervousness as he allowed Ratigan to help him stand up. He grimaced as the pain hit him again, but it felt better once he breathed slowly as Dawson had shown him. It was slow going, but eventually, Ratigan led him up the stairs and out onto the deck. Ray took a long breath, inhaling the sea air and feeling the sun on his face that he had missed so much. He stayed there for some time, sitting on one of the barrels and watching the waves as they sailed. He lost track of time until he heard someone calling his name.

"Well, look who's already up and about!" Ray smiled as he turned to see Amber running up to him. "I went to your cabin to bring you some dinner, and you weren't there!"

"I couldn't stand being trapped inside any longer," Ray laughed.

"I'm glad you're feeling a little better," Amber replied with a big smile. She took his hand as he limped toward her and noticed him panting tiredly. "You look exhausted though. Let's get you back to bed, alright?"

Ray nodded and let her lead him slowly back to his cabin and helped him to bed. As Ray settled back against his pillow his shirt fell open exposing his bare torso, and Amber blushed as she caught herself staring at his toned stomach and the soft tuft of fur on his chest. That's when she saw the bamboo sticking out of his ribs and nearly yelped at the sight.

"What?! What's wrong?" Ray asked worriedly.

Amber stared in horror as she pointed. "T-There's a piece of wood sticking out of your...!"

Ray chuckled nervously. "Oh, that. It's just something to help me breathe. Dawson said I would have to wear it for a while."

Amber moved closer for a better look, touching his fur gently. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," Ray replied, blushing at the feel of her fingers touching him. "But it's better than suffocating to death so..." He laid his head back tiredly. "Kinda makes me afraid to go to sleep, after whatever happened last night."

Amber sat down beside him. "Would you feel better if I sat with you until you fall asleep?"

"You don't have to do that," Ray replied embarrasedly.

"I know, but I want to," Amber replied with a smile, adjusting Ray's pillow more comfortably behind him. "Come on, sit back and relax. You need to rest so you can get better."

Ray smiled gratefully, letting her tuck him under the covers, leaving the bamboo uncovered so he could breathe more easily. Ray felt himself already feeling drowsy as she began to hum softly to him, and soon he had drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear... if Dawson's surgery on Ray seems a little weird or unrealistic, it's because I am not a doctor and therefore am not qualified to say this is a real procedure. I did as much research on it as I could, but as I said, I have no medical degree. So yeah, there definitely are some inconsistencies lol. But the point of this chapter was not Dawson's method for treating Ray, it was to show Ray almost dying and his ability to survive. Just building up what's to come in the rest of the story.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for some squicky painful torture stuff toward the end of this chapter in a flashback.

Later that day Basil stood by the rails of the ship gazing out over the ocean as the last rays of the sun streaked through the clouds in the evening sky. Hearing soft footsteps behind him Basil turned to see Amber approaching. "How's Ray?" he asked.

"Fast asleep," Amber replied with a smile, which disappeared a moment later. "Poor mouse has been through so much."

Basil nodded silently, turning back to look out over the waves. Glancing out of the corner of his eye he saw Amber do the same, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of the sea air. The two stood there in silence, savoring the peaceful moment. A movement just below the surface of the waves out in the distance caught Basil’s eye. At first, he thought it might be a trick of the sun playing on the water’s surface, but then it happened again. "Hey, did you see that?" he asked.

"See what?"

"That! Over there." Amber followed where Basil was pointing, squinting her eyes to catch a glimpse.

"You're seeing things, Bas-" Amber stopped and stared as a huge black shape rippled the surface of the water while a stream of water shot up into the air. "Whales!" Amber cried with a laugh. She grabbed Basil's arm in her excitement. "Look, there's a whole bunch of them!"

Basil's heart melted at the look of happiness on her face. They leaned out over the rails as they watched the massive animals swim past the ship, making _the Felicia_ seem so small. Amber squeaked in surprise as a jet stream of water shot up in the air right in front of them as one of the more curious whales had ventured closer to the ship, laughing as Basil dodged out of the way to avoid being soaked.

They watched as the pod of whales moved on, gliding gracefully through the waves before disappearing into the depths. Basil let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “What is it?” Amber asked, seeing the expression on his face. “Are you alright?”

"Oh, um, yes, of course,” Basil replied sheepishly. “I just… I had forgotten the beauty in the sea.”

Amber nodded understandingly, turning back to look out over the water. "Basil?” she asked quietly. “Do you think we'll ever be free again?"

"I promise we will be,” Basil replied. “Someday."

Amber's ears lowered sadly. "I keep wondering, even if I could get off this ship, where would I go? My home was destroyed in the raid, my family is dead. I... I have no home."

"You could have one with me." Amber glanced up in surprise. "Think about it," Basil continued, suddenly taking her hands in his. "We could return to London or Port Royal or even your Charlestown. Hell, we could make our own life wherever we want! No more orders, no more pirates, no more living in fear. Just the two of us."

Tears welled up in Amber’s eyes as he spoke, and for the first time, she felt something she had thought she lost months ago... hope. Basil held his breath as he waited for her answer, feeling as if his heart would beat right out of his chest. “I-I… oh, Basil,” Amber breathed as she suddenly embraced him, too overcome for words. Basil smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, placing a soft kiss on her head. Glancing around he reluctantly pulled himself from her grasp before the captain could see.

“We’ll talk more about it later,” Basil whispered as a crew member came up on deck to take the night watch. “Don’t lose hope just yet.”

Amber nodded, squeezing his hand one last time before retiring to her cabin. Basil followed, feeling his heart soaring. Now he had an even greater determination for finding a way off this ship.

........

Later the two met up with Dawson in Ray’s cabin. Ray was fast asleep but it was the quietest and safest place they thought to discuss their plans. “So what’s the best way that we can escape?” Amber asked worriedly while tucking the covers around Ray.

“We could jump ship at the next port,” Dawson suggested.

“Easier said than done,” Basil replied grimly. “Ratigan still doesn’t trust me and watches my every move, and he'll hardly let Amber out of his sight either. It’ll also be difficult to get past the crew he leaves to guard the ship.”

“What other option do we have?” Dawson asked with a shrug.

“What about a-a... a... mutiny?” Amber remarked quietly, hardly daring to even say the word.

Basil looked up with a daring smile. "That's what I was thinking as well. But as tempting as it sounds I don't know that it's possible. The chances are slim."

"Well, we can't sit here and do nothing!" Amber said frustratingly.

"I know, Amber," Basil replied calmly, putting his hand over hers. "But there’s only you, me, and Dawson-"

"And Ray," Amber added, glancing at the sleeping mouse. "He doesn't want to be here either. We can't leave him."

Basil nodded. "Aye, and Ray too. But that's my point. We’re just simply outnumbered. What chances do we have with just four mice, one wounded, against a full pirate crew?"

"We have to try," Amber insisted. "I can't live the rest of my life like this on this godforsaken ship run with its insane captain."

The three remained silent for a while thinking over their options. Finally, Dawson nodded. "I'm game," he remarked. "If we put our heads together and come up with a proper strategy, I'm sure we could pull it off."

"We should talk to Ray about it," Amber urged again, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "He could be a big help since he's the first mate and knows the most about the captain and crew's habits."

Basil nodded. "Mutiny it is then," he said with a grim smile, already feeling adrenaline running through his veins at the hope of escape.

Ray suddenly shot up out of the bed almost flailing. “Are you insane?!” he hissed, glancing around furtively as if Ratigan might burst through his door any second.

Basil stared. “How long have you been listening?”

“Long enough! You can’t talk like that around here. It’s suicide!”

“Well, I for one am sick of taking orders from damn pirates!” Basil growled in response.

"Get used to it," Ray snapped, standing to his feet just inches away from Basil’s face, “because there’s no way of getting off this ship alive!”

Amber had to wedge herself between them. “Not so loud! Do you want to bring the whole crew down on us?!” she hissed, pushing them apart. “Sit down and shut up, both of you!” Dawson had to stifle his laughter as Ray plopped back down on the bed and Basil in a chair on opposite sides of the room, both fuming and glaring at each other.

"Still,” Basil continued more quietly, “I'm not staying on this blasted ship forever.”

Ray scoffed. “Even if we could get away, what then? Where would we go?"

"Dawson would return to his home in England and you to Denmark."

"And Amber?"

"She will stay with me," Basil replied, holding her close as he said it. Ray saw the way Amber smiled at Basil, the love in their eyes for each other. He looked down briefly before continuing.

"But I'm the first mate,” Ray pointed out. “Why trust me?"

"Because you're just as much a prisoner as we are," Basil replied. He released Amber and walked back over to Ray, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him. "You've suffered as much as we have on this old ship, and even longer. But we can't let the captain control us anymore. We have each other. With us together, we are stronger than the captain. He might be dreaded, but I'm not scared of him nor his ways. Now, what about you? Will you stay here and be a criminal or leave and be free?"

Ray looked down, touching the burn on his collarbone unconsciously as he seemed to be thinking the matter over carefully. But the answer was clear when he looked up again with a strong resolve in his eye. "I'm in."

Basil gave a small smile, secretly happy that he agreed. "Glad to have you on board, mate."

"So now we need a plan," Dawson said. All was quiet for several minutes as each mouse racked their brains for a plan. "Well, don't everyone pipe up at once."

"First off, _when_ should we try to escape?" Amber asked.

"Night would be preferable," Basil replied. "But with the storm that's brewing, we'll probably make port soon. I think we should try Dawson's first idea and jump ship then.

"No!" All turned to Ray, who's eye was wide with fright. "U-Um..." Ray cleared his throat. "I mean, it's too dangerous. You know... Leave the ship at the same port as the captain? When we don't return to the ship, he will know exactly where to look for us. Even if we were barter passage or even sneak aboard a different ship, it wouldn't leave port in time before he found us."

"You're right. It's too much of a risk.” Basil agreed. “Do you have any other ideas, Ray?"

The Dane smiled roguishly. "I have a few..."  
......

A few hours later Amber took a plate of food to the captain's cabin since he normally dined in there alone rather than with the raucous crew. She set the plate beside him, careful not to disturb the piles of charts and papers littering the desk. "Thank ye, miss," Ratigan said, not bothering to look up from his work.

Amber nodded, watching expectingly waiting for him to take a bite. "Aren't you hungry, Captain?" she asked politely. "I hoped you would like it."

Ratigan chuckled, still bent over the maps. "I'm sure it's delicious, Miss Amber, but I'm afraid I must finish up a few things first. Work before leisure I'm afraid."

"Y-Yes, sir. Then goodnight, Captain," Amber said before taking her leave. She took one last peek through the crack in the door before shutting it quietly so as not to disturb him. She really hoped he ate it soon so they could get on with the plan.  
........

That night, Amber met up with the others on deck, making sure she hadn’t been followed. "Did it work?" she asked nervously as Basil came up from the crew’s quarters below deck.

“Like a charm,” Basil replied with a sly wink. “They're all snoring so loudly it might just awaken Davy Jones himself."

Amber laughed at that image. Even Ray couldn't help a smile. "Then let's get to port before they wake up," he added urgently.

"I doubt they'll be waking anytime soon," Dawson replied slyly. "I think I put enough sleeping drought in that food to knock out Mousedom's entire navy."

Basil laughed. "Ray's right though, we should get to land as fast as possible," he added more seriously. "Amber, you can stand guard while we get the boat ready."

Amber nodded and stood watch while the others readied the smaller boat to use for their escape, but Basil stopped Ray as he picked up one of the ropes. "We'll need you to steer _the Felicia_ to land," he explained, taking the rope from Ray's hands. "You're still hurt and any more strain on yourself could worsen your wound."

"Aye," Ray replied with a smile. Taking the ship’s wheel in his hand, Ray skillfully guided _the Felicia_ through the sea, a thrill running through him as he watched the others getting the ship ready. He could hardly believe it. The plan was actually working.

And then the storm hit. Ray fought with the ship’s wheel as the wind threatened to tear it out of his hand. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Ray turned to see Dawson wiping rainwater from his eyes. “Go on,” Dawson urged, taking the wheel from Ray’s hand. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Can you even steer a ship?” Ray asked doubtfully.

“I’m a _navy_ doctor. Of course, I can steer a ship!” Dawson huffed. Ray smiled, gladly giving the task over to Dawson. Even in this weather, he couldn’t help feeling his heart soaring just at the fact that they were on their way to freedom. For the first time in years, he had hope again.

Back on the main deck, Amber held on to the railing for dear life, trying to keep from sliding on the slick wooden flooring. Soaked to the bone, she pushed her wet hair out of her face and squinted, seeing someone up ahead of her. In the thick rain and darkness she could only make out the profile but she was sure it was Basil. "I can't believe this is actually happening!" Amber said above the wind, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Just think, soon we'll be free!"

Before she could stop herself Amber threw her arms around Basil's neck and, standing on her tiptoes so she could reach, she kissed him. She felt herself blushing in embarrassment at the sudden impulsive action and was about to pull away until she felt Basil's arms wrap around her, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of him so close to her. When she opened them again, lightning flashed and exposed the features of his face and she met the steel-colored gray eye of...

"Ray?!"

Ray couldn't help smiling, still on a high from the passionate kiss. But his ears flattened when he saw Amber's expression. He knew the kiss was not meant for him. Ray opened his mouth but before he could speak, a loud yell sounded nearby and he was tackled to the ground. Ray winced as he made impact with the floor and looked up to see Basil on top of him, anger burning in his emerald eyes.

"Basil," Ray grunted, trying to push Basil off of him, "it's not what you think!"

But Basil wouldn't listen to reason, holding Ray down as he struggled. As a last resort Ray bit down on Basil's hand, causing him to yelp in pain, and the distraction was enough for Ray to roll over and gain the upper hand. He tried to pin Basil's hands by his head but the other pushed him off, pouncing on him again. 

Hearing the commotion, Dawson tried to intervene but had to jump out of the way as the two mice rolled across the deck, rolling into barrels and knocking them over causing a loud clattering noise. Ray grunted as the wind was knocked out of him when Basil pushed him hard to the floor and his hands locked around Ray's neck, strangling him. Ray tried to pry his hands loose but his wound was already taking its toll. No matter how much he fought back, he was just too weak. 

Afraid that Basil would kill Ray, Amber cried out above the claps of thunder. "Stop! Both of you, please, stop it!" Basil looked up then, the red blurring his vision finally clearing after he heard her pleading voice. He suddenly let go of Ray, both mice panting tiredly after the fight. However, everything came to a sudden halt as Amber's scream split the air.

Both mice looked up and saw Amber frozen in terror as she was trapped in the grasp of Ratigan, who held a dagger against her neck threateningly. The pirate captain glared down at the two mice, his yellow eyes appearing to glow in the darkness. With a sudden burst of strength, Ray kicked Basil off of him and drew his pistol. Basil's hand also strayed toward the sword in his belt but Ratigan's bellowing voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Draw that sword, Basil, and I’ll make sure she never draws another breath!”

Basil’s grip tightened on his sword but he obeyed, leaving it in its place. He hissed under his breath. “You no-good bastard-”

“Best watch what you say to me, boy!” Ratigan threatened, touching the knife to Amber’s throat. “I am upset, and I warned you what would happen if you made me upset. Now, put that sword on the ground. You too, doctor.”

Dawson looked to Basil apologetically, but Basil nodded and both mice did what Ratigan said. But Basil was surprised when Ray did nothing. “Ray, do as he says,” Basil hissed while keeping his eyes on Ratigan, worried about what might happen to Amber if they didn’t cooperate. Then he heard a click by his head. As he turned around, Basil was suddenly staring down the barrel of Ray’s pistol.

“Well done, Lehmann,” Ratigan said with a sly smile. “I was trying to plot a course in my cabin when I heard the commotion out here, but it looks like you already caught the mutineers in the act. I knew I could rely on you.”

“No, Ray, please!” Amber suddenly gasped, tugging at Ratigan’s hand. “I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry for hurting you. Don’t do this!”

Ray winced at her outburst, feeling like an utter cad. He had betrayed them, and she was blaming his treachery on herself for rejecting him. However, feeling Ratigan’s yellow eyes piercing him, Ray remained silent, hardening his gaze and gripping the pistol more tightly.

“You traitor,” Basil said, trembling with rage. “We should never have trusted you!”

Ray felt himself begin to tremble as Ratigan narrowed his eyes. “So you knew of this,” he remarked with a glare. “Not only that, but you were a part of it. After I specifically ordered you to not get involved with these two, you throw in your lot with them!”

Shoving Amber to the floor, Ratigan lunged at Ray and slashed at his face with the knife, cutting his chin and causing the first mate to stumble backward with a cry of pain. Thinking the captain was distracted with Ray, Basil rushed toward Amber, but Ratigan grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back. Ray’s gun was knocked from his hand as he fell, and he scrabbled on all fours to get to it but grunted when Ratigan stepped on his hand, pinning him down. “You want to leave? Fine! I won’t have a bunch of yellow-bellied turncoats on my ship!”

Before they could react Ratigan swept Basil and Ray both up by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the small boat planned for their escape. With one swift move, the captain grabbed the oars and threw them onto the deck and cut the ropes holding the boat, causing it to fall into the ocean with a loud splash.

“No!” Amber screamed, rushing to the rail of the ship and reaching out a hand toward them. Basil pushed Ray off of him and scrambled upright, and seeing Amber he too reached out toward her. For a moment it looked like Amber was going to climb over the rail and jump into the ocean after them, but Ratigan quickly grabbed her from behind and held her as she yelled and struggled wildly.

“Get your filthy claws off her!” Basil shouted enraged, watching with horror as Ratigan bound Amber’s wrists to the railing of the ship. Dawson came up behind Ratigan to try to defend her but was knocked out cold by a swift punch to his jaw.

“Now, you just sit tight while I clean up the mess you made of my ship,” Ratigan growled. Amber cried out as he cruelly grabbed a fistful of her hair. “I hope it was worth it, lass,” he hissed into her ear, causing her to tremble. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she was forced to watch as the boat grow smaller and smaller as Ratigan sailed the ship in the opposite direction.

“No. Ray... Basil...”

“Amber!” Basil continued shouting, feeling his heart race as he noticed Ratigan beginning to steer _the Felicia_ in the opposite direction. “Hold on, Amber!” He reached for the side of the boat where the oars should be but froze as his hands grasped empty air. “Shit,” Basil gasped, looking around the boat frantically. “The oars, he took the oars!” Panicked, Basil leaned over the side of the boat and began paddling with his arms. “Ray, come on and help me!” After receiving no answer Basil looked over his shoulder at Ray, who stared ahead at nothing. “Ray?”

“I have lost it,” Ray said, his voice hollow and empty. “E-Everything...”

“You still have your life-"

“What life?!” Ray screamed. “I have lost everything, everything that has ever been important to me! I have nothing!”

Basil’s ears flattened against his head, but he glared at Ray determinedly. “Everything we have is back on that ship,” Basil said, pointing at Amber. “We can’t leave her with that monster!”

“At least she’ll live!” Ray retorted.

“You know that being trapped on that ship is no life!” Basil shouted.

“We would have been better off on that damn ship!” Ray yelled, tears threatening to spill.

“Better off?! We were prisoners!”

“But we were alive! Now we’re marooned, the worst fate a pirate can suffer! We should never have tried to escape!”

“Would you say that to Loran?!” Basil blurted out. Amazingly that seemed to get Ray’s attention, so he continued. “Loran would have been proud of you for finally standing up for yourself. What would he do now if he could see you like this?”

“I… I don’t know,” Ray replied, looking down at the floor of the boat.

Feeling a little bad for being harsh with Ray, Basil turned away. His heart sank further and further as he could do nothing but watch _the Felicia_ sail away carrying Amber further and further away from him. When he couldn’t see the ship anymore he turned back around to Ray, who had curled up into a ball in the bottom of the boat. "What do we do now?" Basil asked helplessly.

“Nothing,” Ray replied, losing any hope he’d ever had. “We failed.”  
...........

Back on _the Felicia_ , Ratigan set about waking up his crew, which proved to be much more difficult than he anticipated due to the amount of sleeping draught Dawson had mixed into their food. He would have thrown Dawson overboard with the other two, but a ship’s doctor was so hard to come by, and as much as Ratigan hated to admit it made him a valuable asset to his crew. For now, he threw the doctor into the brig until he would wake up from the blow to his head. Once more he tried to rouse the crew, kicking tails and overturning hammocks and screaming and cursing. But nothing seemed to work to completely rouse them from sleep.

As the captain made his way back up on deck, his eyes immediately went to Amber, who sat slumped down on her knees and was still tied to the railing. Was that... _guilt_ creeping into the back of his mind? He couldn’t be sure. It was so very rare for him to feel such things. But it was the closest thing to guilt he’d felt in a very long time, and he didn’t like it. Though perhaps he _had_ been too harsh on her. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he pushed it away firmly, shaking his head to get rid of such annoying thoughts. She’d had a part in the mutiny and so she would have to pay like the others. Forcing her to watch Ray and Basil left to their deaths was punishment enough.

Amber didn’t look up as Ratigan approached or even when he knelt down beside her and cut her hands free of the ropes. When she remained still, he gently took her hands and pulled her to her feet. He hated that she refused to even look up at him, keeping her head bowed so that her hair hung in her face.

“Now, I know you’re sore at me,” Ratigan said, whether to ease his conscience (since when did he have one of those anyway?) or just to get her to look at him. He bent down slightly since she was so much shorter than he and placed his hand on Amber’s shoulder, causing her to tense. He didn’t see her trembling hand ball up into a fist. “But as captain, I cannot tolerate any unfaithfulness—” Ratigan was cut off as he felt a sudden jolt of pain in his jaw. He stared in shock, never expecting the normally timid girl to react in such a violent way. She was certainly looking at him now, but what he saw cut him to the quick. Her dark eyes reddened from where she had sobbed for hours, now brimming with fresh tears, staring at him with such a hurt and accusing look that he flinched inwardly.

“You deserve that and worse,” Amber said low, glaring at him once last time before fleeing back down below deck. Ratigan rubbed his cheek, then shook his head in frustration. He looked back in the direction of the boat with the abandoned mice.

“I’m sorry, Loran,” he muttered, gripping the wheel of the ship tightly. His old first mate's last wish was for him to take care of Ray, but he could not accept disobedience like this. Taking a deep breath, he continued onward, steering his ship back on course.  
...........

Dawson rubbed his aching head as he came to, moaning when he realized he was in the brig. Hearing the creaking of a door he sat up dazedly, then nearly fell backward as someone threw their arms around him. His heart sank when he saw it was Amber sobbing brokenheartedly into his shoulder. Patting her back gently Dawson tried to calm her, speaking softly to her, but nothing he said could console the poor girl. The plan had failed miserably. And now with Basil and Ray gone, they were truly alone.  
..........

The sound of waves hitting the boat was the only sound to break the silence while the two mice sat on each side of it. "Forty-seven," Basil said without open his eyes.

"Hmm?" Ray asked lifting his head.

"Forty-seven waves hit the boat every minute."

"You're that bored?" Ray said leaning back.

"Do you have any other suggestions to kill the time?"

Ray shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his face to remove the sweat from under his eye patch. He had already taken off his coat and gloves to escape the heat from the sun. Yelling a curse in Danish, Ray suddenly ripped the eye patch from his face to throw it in the boat. Basil couldn't help staring at the hole in the Dane's head. With his eyes closed, it looked like a bullet had been fired right through his eyelid. "How did it happen?" Basil asked curiously.

"What? Oh,” Ray replied, glancing down at the floor of the boat. “It's a long story."

"I think we have the time."

Ray couldn't say anything against that. He took a deep breath before replying. "It's the result of my first escape attempt."

"Ratigan?" Basil guessed.

Ray nodded, closing his eye as the memories came flooding back. “I was young. I tried to get a job on a ship but nobody wanted me because of my look.” Ray pointed at the dark fur around his eyes similar to Ratigan’s, which did make him appear a bit sinister. "After some time, a little fishing boat finally took me aboard. We were three Danes and one English mouse. It was him who taught me the language. When we were fishing in the North Sea, we were attacked by Ratigan and his crew."

Ray took a little break to clear his mind. Basil sat with his head resting on his hands while he tried to make a theory of why Ratigan came to the Nordic when most of the gold was under sails in the Caribbean. "We were brought aboard _the Felicia_ and placed on our knees in a line," Ray continued. "And it was there I first saw him. Ratigan didn't seem pleased about his prisoners and asked the mouse who sat in the crow's nest why he didn’t say that most of the crew were far from young. The mouse tried to defend himself, but Ratigan was too busy staring at me to listen.

“’Now this is more like it,’ he said and placed his hand under my jaw to take a closer look. He rubbed my fur to try to remove the black from my eyes. ‘You already look like a pirate.’ He grinned, showing his sharp teeth. ‘We’ll take this one.’ 

“The captain commanded his crew to take me to his cabin.

“’What about the others?’ One of the pirates asked.

“‘To the deep.’

"I turned just in time to see my friends being flipped overboard into the water to drown or freeze to death. Once I was inside Ratigan's cabin, he prepared to burn me with the R. But unlike you, I wasn't drained of energy by hunger and thirst, so I fought against the pirates who held me. One of them ripped half of my shirt off in a fall. When I was free I turned around to run, but Ratigan had placed himself between me and the door, and before I could stop, the point touched and burned the mark into my skin."

Basil couldn't stop feeling sorry for the red mouse. At least he had the choice. Well, to begin with. If only he had kept his damn mouth shut.

"It was in Tortuga I made my biggest mistake,” Ray went on. “I kept low to avoid trouble on our way back to the Caribbean. Ratigan often set me to do hard work on the ship, and if he wasn't satisfied, I was bound to the mast and whipped. He wanted me to fear him... to break me.

“But I would not let him win. So when we reached port, I jumped ship. Ratigan knew I would do it and had already hired some mice to hunt me down and bring me back. When I was recaptured, they placed me in front of him on the deck. I was terrified about what was going to happen me.

"‘Well, well. Look what the cat dragged back,’ he said with a big triumph in his smile. He lifted me and slammed me against the mast, holding a grip around my neck so I hardly could breathe. ‘My little red friend, you should know better. Good work, boys.’ He threw a little coin to mice he had hired. ‘I'm losing money on you and that has to be paid back.’ He took a new coin from his pocket, a silver one engraved with an eye, and placed it beside my face. ‘That will do it, 'cause you know what people say. An eye for an eye.’

“It was then I realized what he would do. When he neared his claw to my eye, I begged and pleaded with him. But without showing even the slightest sign of empathy, he stabbed it right through my eyelid and cut my eye into pieces. I still clearly remember the sound of his claw scratching my skull from the inside. I tried with all my might to get free from his grasp, but the pain made it all turn black and I suddenly found my head underwater. Ratigan had pushed my head into a barrel filled with water to wash the destroyed eye out. When he was done, he held my face just above the surface. ‘Look at it!’ he shouted in my face, and I looked down to see the water colored red by blood and what was left of my eye. ‘That is what happens when you are disobedient to me!’

“The day after I had lost my eye, I stood on the deck. None of the pirates were near and the town looked empty. I stood right at the gangplank. I had another chance to escape. But... I couldn't. Fear was growing and moved back like a big monster was standing in front of me. I fell on my knees and broke into tears, too scared to do anything. I looked up when I heard Ratigan clapping slowly. He had broken me. I saw Oliver standing behind him. I tell you, Basil, ever have I felt like I have disappointed a man more. He sighed and looked away from me. He believed in me and I failed.

"So when I heard you three talking about a mutiny, it gave me hope. Something I haven’t felt since before Loran was taken by Fane.” Ray lowered his ears ashamedly. “I’m sorry for betraying you. I was just scared. After Ratigan took my eye, I’ve been too afraid to stand up to him. I’m so tired of being afraid. I guess he ended up breaking me after all."

"No, he didn’t,” Basil replied, shaking his head. “And once he figured out that he couldn’t break you no matter what, he decided to get rid of you. That’s why you’re in the same boat with me,” Basil winked as he bumped shoulders with him, causing Ray to chuckle and roll his eye.

“Some luck we have,” Ray said quietly, a note of bitterness in his voice. “Being beaten and betrayed by your own crew.”

“Another thing I never understood,” Basil added after a few minutes of silence. “Why did you attack me that one day after I was first brought on board the ship, but then after the whipping, you helped me?”

“Because I thought beating you in a fight would gain more respect from the crew,” Ray admitted. “When Ratigan promoted me to first mate to take over for Loran, it caused a lot of hard feelings, and they would rather take it out on me than the captain. The only reason they take orders from me is because Ratigan commands them to. I thought that if I could prove to them that I was strong, then I was worthy of their respect.”

Ray glanced up at Basil. “But then the longer you were on the ship, the more I saw of myself in you. When Ratigan ordered me to beat you, I could have said no. Oliver would have. Hell, he’d have taken the beating himself rather than doing something so cruel to another mouse. Unfortunately, the crew saw it too, and it’s only made me appear weaker in their eyes.”

Basil grew quiet, seeing the Dane in a new light. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re weak.”

Ray looked up in surprise, then smiled. “Ugh, I’m already seasick enough without you getting emotional,” he chuckled. “But thanks.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Basil grinned. As he glanced out over the water surrounding them in all directions, Basil glanced back at Ray. “So.... now what?”


	14. Chapter 14

Hours passed as Ray and Basil were left to drift among the waves with no land in sight. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Basil swallowed as he already felt the effects of thirst settling in. To distract himself he tried to strike up a conversation. “Hey, Ray?”

“Hmm?” Ray grunted in response.

“What did Amber mean back there? That she was sorry for what she did to you?”

Basil saw Ray wince and his ears fold back. “That night back on the island,” Ray responded nervously, “I um... I tried to kiss her.”

Basil blinked. “You what?” Basil sank back against the boat and slumped down in his seat. “Wait, you said ‘tried’…?”

Ray looked down. “She rejected me. I moved too fast and... well, she’s in love with you.”

Basil sighed but looked up again with a teasing smile to try to ease the tension. “Heh, you sure like to kiss the cute ones.”

Ray glared at Basil, blushing furiously. “ _Hold din kæft_. So what about you?”

“What about me?” Basil asked.

“Well, you know most of my life story. How about yours?”

“Oh. Not much to tell really,” Basil shrugged, trailing his fingers down in the water as the current pulled them along. “Father disappeared at sea five years ago, Mother died two years later, sister married a businessmouse and started a family, and brother works for the EITC. Byron tried to get me a position there too but it was too...”

“Boring?” Ray chuckled. He leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head relaxing. “So you joined the navy to kill some pirates?”

“Something like that,” Basil answered with a smile. Although his tone became bitter as he continued. “My father Richard Brettman was a merchant sailor with his own ship and crew. I had hoped to join him someday when I was old enough, maybe even take over the business since Byron didn’t have any interest even though he was the eldest child. Then one day when Father left home, he never returned.”

“He sounded like a great mouse,” Ray remarked sadly. "Hell of a lot better than mine."

Basil nodded, looking out over the waves as memories washed over him. “He loved the sea, always told me stories and legends about sea monsters and mermaids and pirates, taught me how to use a sword. Whenever he had to leave I would stand on the decks in London waiting for his return. After he disappeared, I waited every day just hoping to catch a glimpse of his ship’s sails on the horizon. But that day never came, and after months of waiting, we finally had to assume that he was dead. Mother took the news the worst. The strain of Father’s disappearance was too much on her and she died of tuberculosis two years later.”

Basil grew very quiet at that, just staring out into the distance until he felt Ray’s soft touch on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” Ray offered quietly. “I’m sure your father is fine. Just... far.”

Basil smiled, grateful for the encouraging words even though he had long since given up hope of his father even being alive at this point. He cocked his head curiously as a strange sound came from Ray. “Is that your stomach growling?”

“Ugh, I’m so hungry!” Ray moaned, leaning back in the boat. “We didn’t even get breakfast.”

“Looks like it might be a while before we get anything else again,” Basil remarked grimly, though it was the lack of water he was worried about. A man could last a while without food, but without water... He didn’t even want to think about it and lay back in the boat again and dozed off with thoughts of his family and Amber on his mind.  
........

"Ugh, I'm so booored!” Ray complained hours later, causing Basil to awake with a jolt. Desperate for any sort of entertainment, his ears perked up when he thought of an idea. “Basil, say _rød med fløde_!"

“What?” Basil replied sleepily, rubbing his eyes as the afternoon sun was still shining brightly.

“Say it!" Ray insisted.

Basil frowned and pulled his bandana down over his eyes and laid back again. “No.”

“Come on, just repeat after me. _Rød grød med fløde_.”

“I said no.”

“It’s a simple phrase, Basil! Just try it.”

Basil sighed and sat back up, removing the bandana and rolling his eyes. “R-Ro... Rø gr... say it again?”

Ray was already snickering in amusement. “ _Rød grød med fløde_ ,” he repeated.

“Rød grød meh fla... flooo...” By this time Ray was rolling with laughter, hugging his sides and cackling at the faces Basil was making trying to form the unfamiliar words on his tongue. Basil couldn't help chuckling a bit too and threw his boot at Ray's head playfully. “Hey, shut up! I’m not Danish!”

The moment was shortlived however as the sun eventually began to set. It looked like no one would be rescuing them today. The pair decided to take turns with keeping watch just in case a ship happened to pass by them in the night. But unfortunately, the night passed without event. Soon another day began and the heat only intensified as the sun climbed higher in the sky. There weren’t even any clouds in the sky this time to provide them with shade. Both mice in the boat carefully watched the horizon for any signs of a ship's mast or even rain but with no luck. The effects of dehydration were making them weaker by the minute. As they sat back to back leaning against each other for support, Ray licked his parched lips, which was difficult with a dry mouth and tongue. Hearing a noise nearby, Ray looked up and saw seagulls beginning to circle overhead. The sight made him grunt in annoyance.

"Great," Basil groaned, folding his ears at the loud shrieks and cawing they were making. “We’re not even dead yet and they're already circling. Wait, doesn’t that mean there’s land nearby?”

“If there is, how would we reach it?” Ray answered, waving his hand carelessly. “Captain kept the oars, remember? Are we going to catch a seagull and fly it to land?”

“I don’t know,” Basil replied irately, wiping sweat from his brow. “It's gotten too hot, I can barely focus." Looking up at the seagulls, Basil became more annoyed as they began to swoop down lower and their calls grated on his nerves. Rolling up his sleeves, Basil leaned out over the boat and started paddling with his arms.

“That won't do any good,” Ray remarked with a frown.

“It might if you get up and help me!” Basil snapped, though he was already panting with effort.

“Why bother?”

“Because if we keep sitting still like this those birds are gonna swoop down and start pecking to see if we’re dead yet. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be food for the gulls.”

“They’re not after us. They want fish,” Ray said sitting up and pointing down into the water. “See?”

Looking in the water, Basil did see a large school of silver-scaled fish swimming below them. “Still, they have to roost somewhere, so land must be nearby. Are you going to help me or not?”

“Fine, move over,” Ray growled irately as he did as Basil and leaned over the boat with his arms in the water. A few of the seagulls began diving around them, coming out of the water with fish in their beaks. Basil watched as they carried their catch away to their young, hoping to follow their course and eventually reach land.

As they rowed Ray suddenly yelped, drawing his arm back in the boat and falling down on his tail. “What’s the matter with you?” Basil asked.

“Something touched my hand!" Ray exclaimed. "Something huge!”

“You’re seeing things, Ray.”

“No, I saw the scales! Big, shimmering red scales with a long tail!”

“Maybe it was a mermaid,” Basil joked, though still continuing to paddle.

“I’m not kidding Basil!” Ray shot back, glancing back in the water. “Something is in there!”

“As long as it’s not a shark, I don’t care,” Basil grunted, sweat running down his brow as he worked. “Just keep paddling!”

Ray hesitantly went back to the task, still keeping an eye out for the mysterious creature, but he didn’t see it again. As the heat intensified, Ray felt himself beginning to grow lightheaded and dizzy, and his arms felt like they weighed a ton. Unable to get the thought of mermaids off his mind, he began to mutter to himself.

_"Hvorfor hedder de egentlig havfruer? Jeg mener, er de alle sammen gift?"_

"Ray, you know I don't know Danish," Basil complained tiredly.

_"I såfald burde de hedde havfrøkener... Det giver mere mening."_

"Still don’t have the slightest clue what you’re saying."

_"Ville også være ret irreterende at svømme i døden for sådan en og så bare få at vide at de allerede er taget..."_

"Ray! Shut up and keep paddling!” Finally, Ray grew quiet so that the only sound was the splash of water as they paddled onward. Though even with both mice rowing, they made little progress, especially as weak as they were with hunger and thirst. 

But at last, it looked like their work might be worth it. In the last minutes before the sun set, a dark shape loomed out of the water ahead of them where the seagulls flew. The sight filled them both with a burst of energy as they renewed their efforts and paddled toward the land. However, as the boat drew closer, their hope dissipated when they discovered the truth as the gulls settled in their nests precariously balanced on the rocky outcrops of the land, which was so small it was only slightly bigger than _the Felicia._

“That’s it?” Ray nearly screamed. “All this for a hunk of rock?!”

Basil was speechless as he stared up at the rock, which was so jagged that even if they could get the boat close enough without dashing it to pieces, there were no footholds wide enough for him or Ray to even walk or climb on. No water, no signs of vegetation. Quite literally nothing more than a hunk of rock. With their hopes destroyed, both mice finally collapsed in the boat, too exhausted to continue. Ray moaned weakly, clutching at his chest as some of the saltwater had gotten into the wound causing it to sting painfully. Tired and defeated, they were left to drift wherever the current would take them.

The next day faired no better. Drifting in and out of consciousness, the two mice simply waited, knowing it would only be a matter of time. What a slow agonizing death this would be. But about midday, as he lifted his head, Basil saw a small dot on the horizon. Was that... Could it be... sails? A smile spread on his face as the shape came into focus. “A ship!” he cried, nearly whooping with joy. “Ray, look!”

Ray’s eye shot open as he was startled out of sleep and he sat up to see what Basil was looking at. But he didn’t see a thing out on the waves. “What are you going on about?” the Dane asked irately.

“A ship! Right over there, don’t you see?” Ray just looked at Basil, staring at the mouse as if he were insane. “We’re saved! Ahoy, over here!” Basil stood up and began waving his arms around, causing the boat to tip precariously.

Ray gripped the sides for dear life. “Stop it, _din idiot!_ You’re going to drown us!”

“But the ship—!” Basil insisted, gesturing wildly.

“There is no ship!”

“What? How can you not see it?! It’s right... there.” Basil trailed off as the ship seemed to suddenly disappear. “What the... But I could have sworn...!"

“It was a mirage, Basil,” Ray replied tiredly as he leaned back. “The heat and the thirst is causing you to hallucinate. There’s nothing there.”

Feeling his heart sink again Basil sighed, wiping sweat from his brow for the umpteenth time as the heat beared down on them both. Ray did the same as he unbuttoned his shirt until his entire torso was bare, cursing in his native tongue all the while.

As the hours passed, the quiet grew to be unbearable, so Basil made another attempt at conversation. "So, uh... what were things really like between you and Oliver?"

Ray glanced up lazily. "What do you mean? I've already told you most of it.”

"I mean, I know you were close. But... exactly how close? Like did you ever... uh..."

"What?" Ray asked, inching a little closer to Basil, who blushed embarrassedly.

"Erm... y-you know..." Basil trailed off as he saw Ray stare at him and swallowed nervously. "I mean, did you and Loran really...? Y-You know what, forget I asked," Basil stammered, shifting uncomfortably under Ray's stare. Why on earth was _that_ the first thing to pop into his head? Now that he was thoroughly embarrassed, Basil began to ramble. "I-I'm sorry. Hardly a topic of conversation between two gentlemen. Must just be the heat getting to me, making me forget my manners. Yeah, that's it. Heat and hunger and thirst and mirages and thirst. Did I say thirst twice? God, I'm so thirsty. I wish it would rain. At least it'll be nighttime soon so the heat will go away." Basil trailed off again as he felt Ray place his hand over his, his eyes widening when he felt his fingers running along his arm softly. "Wait!" he exclaimed, grasping Ray's hand. "What are you doing?"

"Showing what it was like with Oliver. He'd feel me like this," Ray said gently feeling Basil's cheeks. "Like this," he continued, fingertips brushing down Basil's neck and chest causing him to shiver. "And like this," Ray whispered, his hand glided down to his hip. Basil stared and swallowed again, entranced but nervous as Ray's hands settled on him.

"No, wait," Basil panted breathlessly. "We shouldn't." His ears perked down at the disappointed look on Ray's face and looked away from each other briefly.

"We're going to die anyway," Ray finally replied quietly, staring back into Basil's green eyes. "Shouldn't we enjoy the short time we have left? Together?"

"I... Ray," Basil let out a breathless sigh when Ray gently felt the back of his neck and whispered into his ear. He didn't understand what he was saying since Ray had lapsed into Danish, but whatever he said it made Basil feel entrapped by the other. His head was swimming with emotions and exhaustion to the point where he couldn't tell what was a dream and what was reality. Soon enough though, both of them collapsed from exhaustion and sleep finally overcame them.

Basil was awoken when he felt a few drops rain as clouds passed over them in the night sky. He opened his eyes slowly, still feeling dazed from the lack of food or water. He looked down to see Ray lying by his side with his head on his chest as they were both covered by Ray's coat to guard against the chill of night. Awoken by Basil's movement, Ray yawned as he opened his eye and looked up lazily at Basil. Only a brief moment passed before both their eyes shot open wide as their thoughts suddenly caught up with them and they scrambled to untangle themselves.

Basil finally gathered his wits about him enough to address the situation. "What, uh..." he had to stop and clear his throat. "Do you have any idea what just happened?" 

"Not sure," Ray muttered with a deep blush. "I think I came on to you and... well, honestly, the rest is a blur."

Both stared at each other for a moment trying to remember everything. "I don't think we...?"

"No, definitely not," Ray shook his head but groaned at the dizziness the sudden motion caused. "But there was... lots of touching at least."

"And I'm pretty sure you kissed me again," Basil added, wincing as he rubbed his head as it throbbed with a headache. "I think we were talking about Loran?" he remarked confusedly. "Were you hallucinating I was him again?"

"I don't think so," Ray answered, blushing sheepishly. "Sorry for that. Again."

Despite the embarrassment of the situation, Basil chuckled. "It's alright. We're both a little out of our heads. Must have lost consciousness eventually."

Ray nodded and stared down at his coat in his hands that had been laying across them both. "Oh! I do remember covering us with this when it got cold. Might need it for the rain."

Both mice suddenly looked at each other, then up at the sky. "Rain!" they exclaimed happily. As the minutes passed, soon the rain began to fall harder. The two mice were able to cup their hands together enough to drink from, but soon the shower turned into a downpour. They retreated back underneath Ray's coat, but it wasn't enough to keep the water from soaking through and soon they were both drenched.

"At least thing can't possibly get any worse!" Ray remarked sarcastically. 

Basil was about to retort until he saw red sails suddenly appear out of the mist. At first, he thought it was just another mirage. But this vision just seemed too real. “R-Ray,” Basil stammered breathlessly, “do you see that?”

When Ray didn’t answer, Basil turned to see him staring in the opposite direction, his eye wide as he sat petrified with fright. His own vision wasn’t of _the Felicia_ , but rather the black sails of _the Persephone,_ captained by the dreaded Fane cel Rau. Lightning flashed, lighting up the twisted grin of the stark white mermaid skeleton figurehead at the front of the ship. But it was the sight of its captain at the helm that caused Ray’s terror.

“Come on!” Basil urged as he started paddling with his arms again, trying to row toward what he thought was _the Felicia._

“N-No, no! Don’t let him take me!” Ray cried out, scrambling backward and bumping into Basil when he imagined he saw Fane smile evilly at him.

“I won’t let Ratigan hurt you,” Basil replied, not understanding who Ray was talking about as he gripped Ray’s shoulders and pointed towards the vision of _the Felicia_. “But Amber is on that ship, and Dawson too! We have to help them!”

“No!” Ray yelled, jerking out of Basil’s grip and curling up in the bottom of the boat trying to hide from Fane’s roving bloodthirsty red eyes.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself!” Basil shouted frustratingly, turning back to paddle toward the Felicia. He imagined he saw Amber standing at the bow reaching her hand out and calling for him just as she had been the last time he saw her. “I’m coming, Amber! I’m coming!” Basil yelled above the roar of the storm, the wind and rain stinging his face as he paddled with all this might, his muscles burning and breath coming in gasps from the effort. He watched in shock as a whirlpool slowly appeared, and to his horror, _the Felicia_ was pulled into it.

“No! No, no, please! Amber!!!” Basil screamed, his voice scratching his throat. Just as _the Felicia_ sank below the waters, lightning flashed again seeming to strike in the middle of the scene. When Basil blinked, both the whirlpool and ship were gone. He sat there in shock for a few moments, wondering if he had just imagined or dreamed the whole thing until lightning flashed overhead again and he felt Ray latch onto his leg. Snapping back to his senses, Basil pried Ray off his leg and held him tightly, holding Ray’s coat over them both to shelter them from the rain as they huddled together in the bottom of the boat as the storm raged around them.

Hours later, the two regained consciousness as the last sounds of thunder rumbled in the distance. They sat up and looked around warily, but no signs of either ship could be seen. “W-What just happened?” Ray asked shakily.

“More hallucinations. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not anymore,” Basil sighed tiredly. “Which ship did you see?”

“ _The Persephone_ ,” Ray answered confused. “Why did you keep talking about Ratigan?!”

“Because I saw _the Felicia._ I don’t know which one is worse.”

“ _Definitely the Persephone_ ,” Ray quickly replied, a shiver running down his spine.

Basil's brow furrowed as he turned back to look at Ray. “Is Fane really that much worse than Ratigan?”

“More than you can imagine," was Ray's quiet answer.

By the end of the day, the fourth one since they’d been tossed off _the Felicia_ , both mice fell silent. Hungry, thirsty, and physically and emotionally drained, they tried to get as comfortable as they could in the small space. Basil felt himself nodding off to sleep more than once as Ray played his panpipe softly to pass the time and to take his mind off his growling stomach and dry throat, the quiet music drifting out across the waves. Ray felt his own eye begin to close eventually, but just before he fell asleep, he saw a quick movement in the water. Leaning over the boat curiously, he looked out over the waves. Probably just more fish. Hopefully not a shark.

However, when the creature came up to the surface, Ray gasped in shock as the head of a woman emerged from the water. She gazed up at him curiously, swimming forward cautiously. Were his eyes playing tricks on him, or was that a fish tail he saw trailing behind her? "Basil!” Ray whispered quietly. When the mouse didn’t reply, Ray flicked him on the nose sharply causing him to yelp in surprise. “Basil, _vågn up_!”

“What?!” Basil replied angrily, rubbing his aching nose and turning over with a groan.

“Shh! It’s a mermaid!” Ray whispered, trying not to frighten her away.

Basil moaned again and turned over. “It’s just a manatee, Ray. You’re hallucinating again. Go back to sleep.”

Ray scowled at Basil and huffed in annoyance. “Mirage or not, I’m going to enjoy this one,” he replied, turning his attention back to the beautiful creature in front of him. Her long, flowing golden hair trailed in the water behind her as she swam forward slowly. She seemed a bit nervous at first, her face just barely peeking up out of the water as she gazed at Ray. But then she grew bolder and came a bit closer to the boat. Ray caught another glimpse of her red tail as the moonlight shimmered across the scales. “Hello,” Ray said, leaning over the side of the boat so he could see her better. To his surprise, she returned his smile. “Can you speak?” he asked curiously.

“Yes,” the lady replied softly. “Are you the one who was playing the music?” she asked shyly, looking up at him through long eyelashes.

“ _Ja_ ,” Ray replied, nodding his head and showing her the instrument. She watched with wide green eyes as he placed it to his lips and played a few notes, showing her how it worked.

“It’s lovely,” she said, giving him another warm smile.

Ray felt himself blushing in response. “What's your name?” he asked.

“Lucille,” she replied. Such a beautiful voice. “And you?”

“Me, what?” Ray asked in confusion.

“Your name!” Lucille replied with a laugh.

“Oh, of course,” he quickly replied. She was so mesmerizing, he couldn’t even think straight. But all mermaids are like this, right? What if she was a siren like the legends say that lure sailors to their deaths? No, such a sweet, beautiful lady couldn't be capable of such evil. “Um, my name is Raymond Lehmann. But I go by Ray.”

“Ray.” The mouse’s heart fluttered as his name rolled off her tongue. She propped her arms up on the side of the boat, bringing her face closer to his. “I like that name.”

Ray blushed again, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. As he did so Lucille tilted her head curiously, and he froze as she reached out and pulled back some of the fabric of his shirt. He breathed out slowly as she touched his wound gently, her fingertips brushing his fur lightly. “You’re hurt,” she remarked with concern.

Trying to appear tough, Ray only shrugged. “Just a scratch.”

“Lucille!” Ray jumped as another female voice called out nearby, and he was shocked to see yet another mermaid appear behind her, one with white fur and a blue tail and wearing gold jewelry and pearls along with a small crown made of seashells on her head.

“What?” Lucille asked innocently as the other grabbed her arm and pulled her back away from the boat.

“We shouldn’t be so close to them,” she reprimanded sternly. “We could get in serious trouble.They could be dangerous!”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Kitty,” Lucille scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re the one who once saved one of them from drowning. A pirate captain, no less!”

“W-Well, I couldn’t just leave him to die,” Kitty muttered. “Anyway, we need to go. If my father finds out that we came to the surface, we’ll really be in trouble." 

“Hey, wait!” Ray called out, leaning out over the boat and reaching a hand out toward them. “Don’t leave!”

Disturbed from his sleep, Basil finally sat up with a groan and rubbed his temples in annoyance. “Ray, who the deuce are you talking to?” He stopped as his eyes fell on the two mermaids in the water. “By jove. Is that...?”

“Told you,” Ray replied with a grin. He elbowed Basil in the ribs. “Don’t just sit there gawking, Bas. Say hello!”

“U-Um," Basil stuttered, for once in his life, completely speechless.

“Did you call me a manatee?!" Lucille asked, her green eyes flashing at Basil dangerously. 

"What?!" Basil stammered, his cheeks turning red. "No! No, I mean-!"

“Lucille, we need to go,” Kitty urged, tugging on Lucille’s arm.

“No, wait!” Ray exclaimed again, nearly tipping over the boat again as he reached out towards them. “Maybe you can help us!”

“Shut up, you’ll scare them away!” Basil hissed, pulling Ray back down until he fell on his backside.

“Scare them? Two seconds ago you didn’t even believe they were real!”

“I’ll believe anything if it means we have a chance to get to land!”

“Why should we help you anyway?” Kitty demanded, crossing her arms irately.

“Because he’s hurt,” Lucille answered, pointing at Ray as she pointed at the bamboo rod in his chest.

“But aren’t you pirates?” Kitty asked suspiciously. 

“Well—" Ray began.

“No, we're not pirates,” Basil hastily interrupted. “But we were captured and forced to work on a pirate ship, so that's why we look like them. We attempted a mutiny but were caught, and the captain set us adrift as punishment.”

“Oh my, how awful,” Lucille said horrified.

“How do we know they’re telling the truth?” Kitty said skeptically.

“You can’t,” Ray replied honestly. His gaze shifted to Lucille. “You just have to trust us.”

Kitty still looked doubtful, but Lucille looked at her imploringly. “We have to help them. Please, Kitty?”

“Ugh, fine. Hold on, you two. Don’t want you to fall overboard.”

Both mice yelped as the boat suddenly lurched forward, cutting a path through the waves. Basil glanced over his shoulder to see Kitty waving her hands in a repetitive motion as if she were manipulating the water herself while they swam along. It was fascinating to see. He'd heard legends that mermaids of royal blood could bend the sea to their will, but to see it for himself was an amazing sight. Ray gripped onto the side of the boat as tightly as he could, feeling a bit sick. But he too watched fascinated as Lucille followed close by, swimming through the water swiftly with ease and grace. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Basil shake his arm. “Look!” Basil shouted excitedly. “Do you see that?!”

Ray broke out in a smile, relief and hope flooding through him. “Land.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably going to be the one that's modified the most from its original form that's been posted on deviantart for years. Just feels better this way because I didn't like some of the accusations Basil made to Ray in the original, plus I think it's best leaving it up to the reader's imagination what did or didn't happen between the two of them ;)


	15. Chapter 15

Without legs, Kitty and Lucille couldn’t push the boat onto land, but Kitty manipulated the waves with her powers enough to cause the boat to wash up onto the shore. Once there, Basil and Ray nearly tripped over each other trying to scramble out of the boat only to collapse on the sand. Basil rolled over on his back, panting tiredly as he closed his eyes, just happy to feel the sand and solid ground beneath him instead of the rocking of the boat on the waves.

Hearing a sound nearby, Basil sat up on his elbows and saw Ray clutching his chest, face scrunched up in pain. Concerned, Basil started to go over to Ray but Lucille beat him to it, pulling herself out of the water with her hands and crawling over to Ray. Once she reached him she laid his head in her lap and stroked his hair gently. Ray gave a small smile at the two mermaids. “Thanks for saving us.”

“If it weren’t for you, we’d have been done for,” Basil agreed.

“Don’t thank us just yet,” Kitty replied, glancing back at the sea nervously before looking back at Basil. “As far as I know, this island is deserted all except for a witch.” Basil followed her gaze as she pointed at the forest behind them. “And who knows what kind of creatures live in there with her.”

“We don't even have weapons to defend ourselves,” Ray mumbled discouragingly.

“Well, we can’t stay out here in the open like this,” Basil replied as he stood to his feet. “We need to find shelter.”

“Yeah, maybe the witch will let us stay with her,” Ray said sarcastically. As he was about to stand up, the Dane paused as he looked back at Lucille.

“I wish we didn’t have to part so soon,” the mermaid remarked sadly.

“Me too,” Ray replied with a small smile. “But maybe we’ll see each other again someday. If we survive long enough, that is.” He blushed deeply when Lucille cupped his cheek softly.

“You will be ok,” she said with a kind smile, brushing his hair away from his eye. Lucille glanced over her shoulder where Kitty waited in the water but turned back to Ray and dared to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ray stared after her as she went into the water, the red scales on her tail glimmering in the moonlight before she disappeared under the waves.

“Come on, Ray!” he heard Basil call. Ray took one more look at the ocean, giving a final little wave to the two mermaids before following Basil into the forest.

..............  
By evening, both mice were fully exhausted from their trek into the jungle, climbing over fallen tree trunks and through the thick foliage. Thankfully they hadn’t run into any dangerous animals apart from the annoying insects that buzzed around their ears. Ray sat down on a rock to rest and scratched some of the mosquito bites on his arms furiously. Basil plopped down on the ground beside him, leaning against a tree trunk tiredly. As his stomach growled he noticed some berries growing on a bush nearby. He crawled over and brought back a handful and offered some to Ray. “What if they’re poisonous?” Ray asked, eyeing the berries suspiciously.

Basil gave him an exasperated look. “This is the first sign of food we’ve seen in days.”

“You try it first then,” Ray said, crossing his arms stubbornly. He watched carefully as Basil sniffed one of the berries before putting it in his mouth. He chewed slowly and swallowed. After a few moments of tense silence, he smiled.

“See? I told you—" 

Ray’s heart nearly stopped as Basil’s eyes suddenly widened and he grabbed his throat, making a gargled choking sound. Ray screamed in horror as Basil collapsed flat on his face, then Ray fell on his knees beside him. “No! Oh, god, no. Please don’t die, Basil!” Ray grabbed Basil and flipped him over as he saw Basil was shaking. But when the Dane looked closer, he saw that Basil wasn’t choking.

“I’m sorry, Ray,” Basil giggled, clutching his sides as he couldn’t help but laugh at Ray’s high-pitched scream. “I couldn’t resist. You should see the look on your face!" he chortled with laughter. Ray stared dumbfounded for several moments, then shoved Basil over with a huff before firing off a string of curses in Danish. “I’m sorry, I really am!” Basil laughed, putting his hands up to shield the light punches Ray gave his arm. He tried offering the berries to his friend again. “Here, I promise the berries are fine. They’re really sweet and juicy.”

Ray glared at Basil with a scowl before swiping some of the berries out of his hand. But he was correct. They really did taste good, especially after several days of no food or water. When Basil started chuckling again, Ray threw a berry at him, which bounced off his nose. Once they had finished their little meal, Ray and Basil continued their hike through the jungle, anxious to find shelter.

“I wonder if any ships ever pass through here,” Basil remarked as they walked, pushing a low-hanging vine out of his way. “We could build a big fire to try to get their attention. Otherwise, we might be stuck here for awhile.” Basil trailed off when he got no response. “Ray! Are you listening to me?

"Mm-hmm," Ray hummed in answer. When Basil looked over his shoulder he saw Ray walking with a smile on his face and not really paying attention to where he was going. A few seconds later he bumped into Basil.

“Stop daydreaming about mermaids and watch where you’re going!” Basil snapped. Ray didn’t answer, just kept walking forward with the same little smile. “Right. As I was saying, the only way we can-" Basil stopped again when Ray suddenly slammed into a tree. "For god's sake, Ray!"

"I can't help it. She is so wonderful!” Ray leaned back as they walked and crossed his arms behind his head, gazing up at the clouds floating by through the treetops overhead. "I have been hit by a love arrow,” he grinned.

“More like you’ve been whacked by cupid’s love mallet.” Basil laughed. He glanced back at Ray hesitantly. “You really have been around, huh?”

“What do you mean?” Ray asked tilting his head curiously.

“First Oliver, then Amber. Even me,” Basil added, turning back to hide his blush. "And now this mermaid.”

Ray glared and then shrugged frustrated. “I just... I don't know! When I fall for someone, I fall hard and love passionately. I guess it just has taken some time for me to find the right one that feels the same way.”

The two mice were quiet after that and walked on in silence. A little while later, Basil’s ears perked up and he suddenly started running. Ray followed confused until he saw what Basil was so excited about, then he ran faster too. A few minutes later they ran out of the bushes to a freshwater pond. The sparkling water looked so cool and refreshing that they practically dove on their hands and knees and began eagerly drinking. It had been so long since they had anything besides a little rainwater to drink that the freshwater was like drops that had fallen straight from heaven.

Once they were done drinking Ray stripped off his clothes and jumped into the water, being careful not to get water in the wound in his chest while washing all the dirt and salt water off of himself. A few minutes later, Ray looked at Basil sitting on the bank looking embarrassed. “Come on, the water’s nice!” Ray said laughing, splashing some water at him. When Basil blushed harder Ray made a silly face at him. “Don’t tell me you’re too shy.”

“I am not!” Basil retorted, his cheeks burning red. “I’m just not in the mood to swim naked with another man right now.”

“What? You're afraid someone’s gonna see?” Ray teased. Basil glared and pulled his knees up to his chin pouting. So instead, Ray tried appealing to Basil's logical sense of reason. “Your skin and fur will be dry and crack if you don’t get the salt washed off. You'll feel a lot better when you're clean."

Basil’s ears folded, but he finally relented and followed Ray into the water and began washing the salt out of his fur. He sighed in relief when he felt his fur becoming soft again. They spent a while in the water. It was nice how the cool refreshing water made their body relax and gain strength again.

As Ray climbed out and stood on the bank looking for where he put his clothes, Basil’s eyes widened. When he was wet, Ray’s fur became so long and stringy, it made him look even skinnier than normal. Ray frowned when he caught Basil looking. “We have very thick fur in the Nordic!” he said with a glare. “It keeps us warm!” Basil still couldn’t help but laugh a little at the look of his furry friend. Ray simply ignored him and carefully cleaned the wound in his chest on the shore of the pond.

Basil crawled out of the water too and laid down on the grass. Feeling refreshed after washing off he felt himself nodding off to sleep as the sun shined down on him making him feel warm and comfortable. Once he was done cleaning his wound, Ray did the same, and the two took a short nap as their fur dried in the sun. Basil woke up a few hours later when his stomach started to growl again. He rolled over and put his clothes back on now that he was dry.

“Ray, wake up,” Basil called as he glanced up at the darkening sky. “I think we should get moving again.” He trailed off when Ray sat up and stretched and yawned, his thick red fur now sticking out in all directions.

“What is it now?!” Ray demanded grumpily.

“Nothing," Basil chuckled. "You’re just so fluffy! A little red fuzzball.”

Ray frowned as he got dressed and stomped off into the woods. Basil quickly followed, not wanting to get lost from each other. “I’m hungry,” Ray complained not long after, holding his empty stomach.

“Me too,” Basil replied. “We need to find something better to eat. We can’t live off berries from now on.”

“I haven’t seen any animals that we can hunt either.”

“What would we hunt them with? Sticks?” Basil asked sarcastically.

“I don’t know, I’m just starving!” Ray snapped, swatting at a fly that had started to buzz annoyingly around his head.

“It’s probably good that there are no wild animals anyway since we have nothing to defend ourselves with.”

Ray’s ear perked up and he stopped short when he heard a rustling sound up in the trees above them. “D-Did you hear that?”

“Very funny Ray,” Basil said rolling his eyes as he kept walking.

“No, I’m serious!" Ray protested, running forward to catch up to the taller mouse. "It sounded like something moving up in the trees!”

“You’re imagining things.”

“I was right about the mermaids, wasn't I?”

Ray had a point about that. “Whatever,” Basil replied. “Just keep going and maybe it will leave us alone.”

"Hopefully it’s not a big predator," Ray mumbled. Hearing another noise up above him, Ray looked up horrified when something jumped out of the tree in a blur and landed on his face. “Gah!” he screamed, swatting at his face in a panic. “Get it off, get it off, get it off!”

Basil just stared unsure of what to do. As soon as he took a step toward Ray, the thing jumped off of him and scurried up into a nearby tree. When they looked up, they saw something that resembled a brown squirrel-like creature perched up in one of the branches peering down at them curiously. Ray reached up to touch his face to see if the thing had scratched him and noticed that his eyepatch was missing. He looked up in the tree squinting and noticed the patch clutched in the little creature’s paws. “Hey, give that back!” Ray yelled, shaking his fist up in the air. The animal made a chattering sound and then took off, jumping and leaping through the trees agilely. “Wait, no! Get back here!” Ray shouted angrily before dashing off after it.

“Ray, wait!" Basil shouted. "Come back! We need to stay together!” But Ray was already gone. Basil sighed and took chase after them. He followed them through a thick group of bushes, and when he burst through the other side, he saw Ray teetering at the very edge of a large hill, swinging his arms wildly trying to hold his balance. But Basil was running too fast and didn’t see him in time, so he crashed right into Ray, the momentum knocking them both over the edge. After rolling down the hill they finally came to a stop at the bottom, panting and gasping for breath. Basil groaned as he lifted his head, but his ears perked up when he saw a house a little further away. “Hey, look!” Basil said excitedly. “That must be the witch’s house.”

Ray rubbed his aching head as he looked at the little house uncertainly. “I don’t know about that place, Basil. It looks...”

“Haunted?” Basil scoffed. “There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“No such thing as mermaids either,” Ray retorted.

“She’s a witch, not a ghost,” Basil pointed out. Ray shrugged and winced, clutching his chest where the bamboo stuck out. “We need to get help for that soon,” Basil said concerned and gently helped Ray up before carefully approaching the house. Basil winced as the wooden slabs creaked under their feet as they walked up the steps onto the porch. He gulped nervously before knocking on the door. After a moment, he knocked again but still received no answer.

“Oh, well. No one’s home,” Ray shrugged, then he groaned in pain again. Running through the jungle all day and the fall down the hill had made his chest hurt worse than before. Basil grabbed him before he could fall and put Ray's arm around his shoulder to support him. He tried the doorknob expecting it to be locked, but surprisingly the door opened. 

“We can’t just barge in,” Ray protested weakly.

“We can’t wander around the jungle all night either,” Basil replied, and Ray reluctantly let Basil lead him inside. They looked around the cabin in awe at how much bigger it seemed on the inside. The interior was filled with mismatched pieces of furniture and trunks and chests of all shapes and sizes. Shells, beads, colored bottles, and even bones hung from the ceiling as decoration. There was a table with a crystal ball and tarot cards and other odd bits scattered around. It was dimly lit by candlelight, the glow from the flames cast flickering shadows that seemed to move along the walls.

“See? No ghosts here,” Basil whispered trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. “We’ll just explain everything when she comes in.”

“And hope that she won’t turn us into frogs or have us for dinner,” Ray added, glancing at a cauldron in the fireplace.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Basil started, but he jumped suddenly and squeaked in surprise. “Gah! Something touched me!”

“That was me, genius.”

“Listen, I’ve had about enough of your mouth.”

“ _Hold din kæft!_ You’re making too much noise!”

“You shut up!”

“Silence, both of you! You’re making enough noise to wake up the dead!” Startled by the sudden voice behind them, Basil and Ray yelped, clinging to each other as they spun around. A lady bat with braided hair wearing a long, flowing dress with tattered edges and several layers of jewelry around her neck and wrists stood nearby with her arms crossed in front of her, watching them with an amused smile. “Well, are you going to introduce yourselves or just stand there with your eyes bulging out of your heads?”

“Oh, um, I’m Basil," the taller mouse stammered. "This is Ray.”

“I am Victoria," the bat grinned and curtsied with her wings outstretched. "Now, do you wish to explain why you broke into my house and bathed in my drinking water at the pond?”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that, we swear!” Ray gulped.

“Of course no. We’re so sorry!” Basil tried to explain. “It’s just we’ve been stranded for days with no food or water-”

“And there were mermaids, too!” Ray interjected. "And a tiny creature that stole my eyepatch and-"

“Enough!” Victoria shouted, eyes flashing dangerously as the candles in the room flared up around her. Both mice froze at the menacing sight. Massaging her temple, Victoria sighed irritably. “One at a time, please. You first,” she added, pointing a claw at Ray. The red mouse explained everything with Basil adding here and there to help tell the story. _The Felicia_ , the mutiny, and the mermaids. Ray trailed off and his eye widened when he saw the little creature from the jungle sitting on top of some boxes near the table with his eyepatch hanging around its neck.

“Little thief!” he yelled as he rushed toward the animal to catch it. It quickly grew alarmed at his action and jumped, landing elegantly on Ray’s head and over to the table.

"Flicka doesn’t like being hunted like that.” Victoria's remarked, a smile playing on her lips as Ray glared at the little creature. “Ask nicely, and maybe she’ll return it."

Ray sighed and gently reached his hand out to the animal. “Please, Tricka.”

“Flicka,” Victoria corrected.

“Whatever,” Ray shrugged and quickly closed his hand when Flicka finally relented and placed his eyepatch in it. Victoria chuckled and walked over to the pot on the fireplace. She gave the two mice a bowl of food each. Basil glanced down at the plate of food in front of him and winced. It looked... well, he didn’t even know how to describe what it looked like. Whatever it was couldn’t be good judging from the look and smell. Basil swallowed as his stomach growled loudly and he picked up the spoon. He tried not to think of what it might be as he took a bite. After four days of no food and water, he didn’t care as long as it satiated his hunger. Flicka’s tail wagged happily as she suddenly leaped at Ray and curled her long, fluffy tail around his neck, resting on his shoulder and purring softly while he ate.

“I think she likes you.” Victoria chuckled with an annoyed glare from Ray as a reply. “But what is the real reason why you are here?”

“The mermaids sent us to you.” Basil answered.

“About what?”

To answer, Ray moved his shirt to the side and showed the injury on his chest where the bamboo stuck out. Flicka suddenly squeaked and jumped down onto the table and sniffed him curiously. “What?” Ray asked the animal and yelped when Flicka put her front paws on his chest to look closer at the wound.

“We hoped that you could help us,” Basil explained to Victoria. “Ray has had this wound for weeks, and we hoped you could heal it. The mermaids said-” Basil was interrupted by Ray screaming.

“You crazy animal! Are you insane?!” Ray yelled when Flicka suddenly pulled the bamboo out of him. He gasped raggedly and could only stare in shock as the creature began to lick his wound. “D-Don't do that!”

“Let her work,” Victoria said sternly. Basil watched the little rodent-like creature licking Ray’s wound. His jaw dropped when the wound gradually vanished. Not even a scar was left. “Amazing," Basil said and smiled to Ray, who grasped his chest staring in disbelief. “Can she remove this as well?” Basil asked eagerly, showing Victoria the R on his wrist. The witch gently took his hand and examined it briefly before she shook her head.

“She can only heal fresh wounds. Scars are dead skin, and she can’t do anything about that. She is a healer, not a reviver.” Both Basil and Ray sighed sadly as they both had the same scar that they would never be rid of.

"There, your friend is healed," Victoria remarked and sat back, crossing her legs elegantly under the table. "What are you going to do now?"

“We just want to go home,” Basil said wistfully.

“Ah, your journey is far from over,” Victoria remarked cryptically, causing Basil and Ray to glance at each other worriedly.

“What do you mean?”

Basil asked.

“You will leave on a ship soon. But beware its destination. Not all things are as they appear.”

“Please stop talking in riddles!" Ray burst out. "Are we going to go home or not?”

“You do not have a home! Neither of you do.” Victoria suddenly grabbed Basil’s wrist and pointed at the brand. “You are the son of a merchant sailor who sought freedom on the high seas only to be cast out by your own countrymen. You dare not return home with this evidence that you sailed under a pirate. So you wish to start a new life with your love. However, she was taken from you as well.” With a horrified stare, Basil jerked his hand away from her. Ray flinched as Victoria turned her fiery eyes on him and pointed at his chest. “Your heart is so lonely and eager to be loved, but you fear because each moment of happiness has been ripped away from you. You are a runaway who flees in fear of his captain and even his own father. Yet no matter how much your sister misses you, you wouldn’t dare go back to that life.” She glared at them both. “You can flee from the past as much as you like, but you cannot escape your future.”

Both mice were too stunned to speak for a moment. Basil was the first to find his voice again. “Then what is our future?”

Victoria rose from her seat and turned to gaze into the glowing flames in the fireplace. "A black ship that graces the seas as the goddess of the underworld. It is controlled by he who wishes conquest upon the ocean in the soaked blood of its victims. He is not Hades, but he might as well be. This tyrant who writhes within the Caribbean... He shall lead you to your resolution and your salvation. But will you be the next corpse? Or perhaps the captain of your own destiny?"

“Wait, are you talking about...?” Basil started, but Ray had instantly recognized the description and finished for him.

“Fane cel Rau,” Ray whispered fearfully.

“He is known by many names,” Victoria continued, turning back to face them with a somber look on her face. “It is said that he made a deal with the devil and sold his soul in order to live forever. But the evil inside Fane’s heart grew so vile, so corrupt that a demon was drawn to him and possessed the great captain. The demon has grown as many seasons have passed, fed by the captain's desire for blood. Now his heart has gained a life of its own. So to control the evil inside him, he carved out his heart and hides it in a chest to try to contain the demon so that it will not destroy him.”

Basil scoffed. “That's impossible. He couldn’t literally cut out his own heart and still live.” His confidence wavered as Victoria glared at him. “Could he?” The witch merely chuckled darkly at Basil's fear. “Is there at least a way to destroy this demon?”

“It feeds off of the evil residing inside a mouse’s heart. Though it's not easy to stab right through the skin, once the heart is destroyed, Fane will be released from the demon's grip."

“So we just stab the heart?” Ray asked.

“That is the easy part. But" Victoria added holding up a finger, "only if you can find it.”

Basil sighed and rubbed his neck. "There's no telling where Fane would hide something so precious to him."

"At his hideout, I would guess,” Ray suggested. “That’s probably the most secure place for it to be hidden, with his most valuable treasures.”

“But if even Ratigan can’t find it, how are we supposed to do it?” Basil asked frustrated.

“Well, we have a witch who can read the future,” Ray grinned.

“I only see what the spirits allow me to see,” Victoria replied, shaking her head. “Everything else remains hidden.”

“Can’t you at least look into your crystal ball or conjure up a treasure map or something?” Ray prodded.

“It is not as simple as that!” Victoria snapped.

“Even if we find the chest,” Basil interrupted before she could be angered further, “it won’t do any good if we don’t also have the key.”

"A key is not needed," Victoria said waving her hand dismissively. "If you stand in front of this chest, a key cannot open it."

"That makes no sense at all," Ray groaned in frustration. 

Basil sighed in agreement. "So we find this chest, open it, and stab the heart. Sounds simple enough.”

“Remember, I said not all things are as simple as they appear.” Victoria glanced at Ray before she turned her attention to Basil and looked carefully into his green emerald eyes. "But will you really stab it?"

"Why shouldn't I stab the heart of a monster?!" Basil exclaimed.

"You would really open the dead man's chest and stab it?" the witch repeated.

“I have killed pirates before,” Basil growled, growing more and more impatient with the woman's riddles.

"Correction, you have killed one pirate," Victoria interjected. Basil's blood ran cold. "And even his death haunts you to this day. Would you so easily kill again?"

"I..." Basil hesitated briefly before meeting her gaze. "I would do anything to protect those I love," he answered, his voice low but determined. "Even if I have to kill any monster that stands in my way."

"Hmm. We shall see," the witch remarked cryptically. She then turned to Ray. "What about you? Will you try to kill him too?"

"The one time I met him, I failed to save Oliver from that demon,” Ray said quietly, his ears folding. “After all Oliver did for me, I let him down.” When Ray looked up again his gray eye was like cold steel and he gripped his hand into a fist. “The least I can do is avenge his death.”

“Revenge is an act of passion," Victoria remarked thoughtfully. "But if you are not careful, you will find yourself walking the same dark path as he. The spirit inside Fane’s heart thrives on such dark desires, and the rage and hatred growing inside your heart will consume you as well.”

Still Ray glared at the bat. "I'm not going to sell my soul to the devil for revenge as Fane did. The spirit will not have much darkness to feed on."

"We shall see how much darkness there is for it," Victoria chuckled as if amused by something. Both Ray and Basil looked confused at her.

"So many riddles,” Ray grumbled.

Victoria smiled, the sinister light seeming to vanish from her eyes and being replaced by her former hospitality, and she rose from the table. “I can see you are both tired. Perhaps you can think more clearly after a decent night’s rest.”

The witch soon showed them to a little room. Two small beds sat against the wall with a little table between them. The room itself wasn't much different from the other, being decorated with colorful bottles and strung animal bones and seashells hanging down. “Ah, a good night's sleep in a bed instead of a tiny rowboat,” Basil smiled in relief and stretched his tall body with a yawn. 

The Dane chuckled as Basil practically fell onto the bed in exhaustion. Ray then looked in a mirror on one of the walls. He gently touched his cheeks that were covered long bristles that had grown during their time alone in the boat. "I could really use a shave." 

“You should keep it," Basil muttered sleepily. “Makes you look more mature. I'm sure Lucille would love it,” he added with a mischievous smile. Ray scoffed, blushing embarrassedly, and looked back in the mirror. He found a small knife nearby and slowly started to shave his beard off. He stopped before it was all gone and left a fine little mustache. “What do you think?” Ray asked Flicka, who was perched on a shelf on the wall next to him and watched curiously. Her tail wagged after he asked the question, which he took as a yes. Ray chuckled and finished shaving before walking over to the other bed. He was briefly startled when Flicka jumped onto his chest and curled into a ball with her long fluffy tail wrapped around her. Ray rolled his eyes, too tired to care, and he and Basil both were soon sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victoria the witch is an OC who belongs to Devilgirl007 on deviantart and was used with their permission.


	16. Chapter 16

Basil yawned and stretched his long limbs as he awoke. He smiled at the warm feeling of the sun on his face and a soft bed. Oh, how he had wanted that for days. Turning to his friend in the bed beside him, Basil chuckled when he saw Flicka curled up on the Dane's pillow beside his head fast asleep. Basil then walked over to the mirror and shaved his face. He grinned again when he saw Ray yawn and blink sleepily when he woke up. He looked over at Basil tiredly. "What?!" Ray grumbled. 

"Your hair," Basil chuckled at the Dane, whose hair stuck up messily in all directions. Ray mumbled in Danish as he turned over and pulled the covers tighter around him. "Guess you're not a morning person," Basil smiled as he went out of the room.

As Ray was falling back asleep, Flicka awoke and stretched her paws out while yawning sleepily. While she groomed her fur, her ears perked up when she heard Ray mumbling in his sleep as he rolled over onto his back. The little squirrel-like creature carefully climbed up on Ray's chest and watched him curiously. When Ray snored suddenly Flicka jumped in surprise and hid behind her bushy tail. A few moments later she crawled closer to Ray's face and chattered quietly, nudging his chin with her nose. Ray didn't respond right away so she kept nuzzling her head against him until he let out a soft moan. Flicka wagged her tail happily when Ray smiled and she began to lick his face.

"Mm, Lucille," Ray murmured softly, still smiling like he was in heaven as he continued to dream about being with the mermaid. Flicka tilted her head curiously. Hearing the mouse moan, she thought he must be in pain. She slowly started to lick his face to calm him down. Ray smiled and repeated the mermaid's name. Flicka squeaked when he suddenly placed his arms around her and turned to his side and hugged her close to his chest, snuggling into her fur.

Meanwhile, Basil stood at a side table near the window and looked at a map Victoria had given them. He sighed when he saw the tiny island was so secluded from bigger islands in the area. How would they ever get back to civilization? And what of Amber? Did Ratigan keep her for himself now that he was gone? As his mind raced, he couldn't help worrying about what horrible things might have befallen her in the few days since they'd been separated. 

Basil's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Flicka squeak loudly as Ray held her tighter. Basil chuckled and shook his head. Growing more irritated, Flicka began to growl as the red-furred mouse was kissing the little creature. Ray suddenly cried out in pain when Flicka scratched his face to get away. The attack surprised him so much that he fell off the bed, taking both sheets and blankets with him as he landed with a grunt. In the chaos, Flicka had jumped off the bed and sat on a barrel near the window and cleaned her face, chittering angrily all the while.

Basil couldn’t help but laugh at the scene. Ray sat up and held his cheek where the creature's claws had left tiny scratches. Forgetting her annoyance, Flicka squeaked when she noticed and pounced on him, making the Dane fall back again on the floor as she licked his face as fast as she could to the heal the wounds. "Alright, I'm awake!" Ray protested. When all the wounds were gone, she quickly jumped off of him again and ran out the door eager for breakfast. Basil chuckled as he had to lift his foot for the creature to get out. “Wonder what’s for breakfast?” he asked.

“I hope it’s something better than last night,” Ray grumbled.

“You’re not having anything before the morning work is done,” Victoria said as she came into the room and placed a big jar in front of Basil.

“Work?” Ray repeated tiredly as he stood up and stretched.

“I already gave you a place to sleep. Did you also expect food for free?" Victoria asked and rose an eyebrow.

“Well, we are your guests.”

“No, you're not! I didn’t invite you to my island, so you’re not my guests. Just two pirates that decided to barge into my house.”

“We’re _not_ pirates,” Basil insisted. Victoria just stared back at him expectantly. “Fine," Basil sighed. "What do you want us to do?”

“Take the jar and go fill it up from the pond you polluted yesterday by bathing in it,” Victoria said as they followed her into the main area of the house. “Shorty here probably can’t lift it once it is filled.”

“Excuse me?” Ray glared as he put his eyepatch on. Victoria watched in amusement while Ray picked up the jar and argued with Basil about who should carry it to get the water. She quickly interrupted to tell them what other duties she expected of them, which was mostly household chores.

It was late afternoon before Basil and Ray finished all of Victoria's tasks. Once back at the house, they practically collapsed on the porch out of exhaustion. Flicka made herself comfortable on Ray’s shoulders and wrapped her thick tail around his neck and purred happily. This time Ray was too tired to protest. And besides, maybe the little creature was growing on him.

“Tired already?” Victoria smirked as she stood in the doorway of the house. Both mice sent her a glare in response. “Well, now that all the chores are done, you can spend some time on other things.”

“Like what?” Ray gestured tiredly.

“Like getting off my island!” 

That made both Ray and Basil’s ears perk up. “Not a bad idea,” Basil smiled and got on his feet again as some of his energy returned. “Come on, Ray!”

“Not now,” Ray groaned and covered his eyes with one arm to block out the sun and maybe take a nap. He yelped when Basil grabbed his boot and dragged him off the porch.

“You can rest at the beach while looking for ships,” Basil instructed. It was almost like they had changed ranks- the cabin boy now telling the first mate was to do. Victoria chuckled as she watched them bicker. Once Basil finally got Ray up on his feet and walking on his own toward the beach, Basil turned back to the witch. “Thank you for your hospitality, madam," he said and reached a hand out to the bat. Victoria smiled and gently shook his hand. He then turned to follow Ray into the jungle but stopped short when he heard Victoria's voice behind him with an eerie echo.

_"A chest to be opened upon man's flesh."_

Basil whirled around to face her. “What-?” he began to ask, but the witch had vanished. Must have gone back inside the house again to continue her work, he thought. Basil shrugged, thinking it probably just was another riddle. However, the cryptic message echoed through his brain as he made his way back to the beach.

.......

Being a lady in waiting to the princess of the ocean wasn’t just making sure her schedule was followed closely and helping her dress and fixing her hair. It was also about being there for her as her company. Her friend. Lucille was all that to Kitty and more. Ever since they were children they had stuck together. Kitty’s destiny couldn’t be avoided and she didn’t trust any other than the palomino mermouse she had shared her life with so long.

“What’s with you?” Kitty laughed as she heard Lucille humming while brushing her long hair. “Oh, I know that look. You're thinking about that one-eyed mouse again, aren't you?”

“I can’t help it!” Lucille sighed dreamily. “He’s so handsome, Kitty. His red fur and his silver eye... the cute little whisker that points the completely other direction than the others...”

"But he is a pirate, remember?” Kitty pointed out.

“He’s not like the other pirates!” Lucille retorted. “You heard the awful story they told." Lucille pouted when Kitty still looked skeptic. "Come on! Haven’t you ever been in love?” Lucille suddenly grabbed Kitty’s hands and swung her around in a dance. “Just imagine dancing around on the beach with him. He takes your hands and leans in to give you true love's kiss!” Kitty’s ears folded as she saw Lucille leaning in, too far in her own thoughts about the pirate.

“Alright, alright, that's enough!” Kitty said with a laugh, giving Lucille a playful shove. The blond mouse blushed deeply as she snapped out of it and let go of Kitty's hands.

“I’m sorry, your majesty," Lucille curtsied politely. "Got carried away." When she smiled again thinking about Ray, Kitty chuckled again.

“You really miss him so much?” the princess asked curiously. 

Lucille blushed and nodded. Her tail wagged a little from side to side when she saw how Kitty smiled. She knew that mischievous look. “You mean we can go see him?!” Lucille exclaimed and hugged Kitty tightly.

“Yes, but only a very short visit!" Kitty pointed out. " And we have to be back before my father knows we are gone.”

“And you will really risk getting in trouble with the king for me?” Lucille asked, a little surprised by the princess suddenly having the courage to return to the surface so soon despite her father’s orders about staying under the sea.

Kitty smiled warmly “You are my friend. I will do what I can to make you happy.” Lucille hugged her tightly once more with a delighted squeal and held her hand as they swam up towards the light of the sun shining over the surface.

......

“I'm tellin' ya, it’s true!” Lefty exclaimed as he tried to free his hook from the tangles of the fishing net. “It was a huge snake, big enough to swallow the captain whole!” The other pirates rolled their eyes, Every time Lefty recounted the story about how he lost his hand, the story was never the same. “T'was a miracle it took just my hand and didn't gobble me up," he said, still struggling to get his hook free. The other pirates shrugged, too annoyed about hearing yet another tale about Lefty’s missing hand. Giving a big heave, the pirates threw the fishing net overboard. Lefty screamed as his hook was still tangled in the net and he flew through the air into the water with it.

“What was that?” Kitty asked confused. She and Lucille looked up when a big shadow passed over them and a loud splash right over their heads. They gasped as they saw the net with the big mouse tangled in it sinking in their direction. The mermaids quickly dove deeper into the water just in time. Lefty struggled to get back above the surface to breathe but froze when he saw the two mermaids staring at him. Just as he realized exactly what he was looking at, Lefty was pulled to the surface as the crew dragged the net back to the ship. Lefty almost kissed the deck when they hauled him back onboard.

“When you were out there, did you check if there were any fish?” Fidget laughed with his grating throaty voice.

“Two big fish!” Lefty replied and stretched his arms out as far as he could. “Both females!”

“How the blazes could ya tell that?” Tommy asked with a frown.

“Because they looked like female mice!” Lefty said and pointed with his hook out in the ocean. "Er, well, the top half was."

“I think ya swallowed too much saltwater, mate,” Jones snickered.

“It’s true, go see for yourself!” Lefty insisted. The pirates looked at each other curiously before they went to the railing. Suddenly they gasped when they saw the blue and red tails swimming under . “Get the net!” Bill commanded as he adjusted Ray's red-feathered hat on his head. The crew did as told and threw the net out on the starboard side.

“Aw, they got away,” Fidget groaned disappointedly as they dragged the net in again. Bill growled and ran to the other side of the ship.

“They are here!” the first mate yelled pointing into the water. The crew threw the net out where the lizard pointed only to miss again. Bill fumed, throwing the hat down the planks of the deck angrily. Beneath the ship, Lucille and Kitty giggled. The princess couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. 

As she was trying to prepare dinner for the crew, Amber had been carrying buckets of rotten fish onto the deck to empty into the sea so that they were ready to be filled with fresh ones once the crew got a catch. The mermaids were ready for the third round and swam to the surface again, but suddenly a sickening, repulsive smell hit their noses as Amber dumped one bucketful of rotten fish overboard which landed right in front of them. The pair quickly swam to the other side of the ship to escape the disgusting smell. Bill smirked as he watched their reaction.

“Don't like the smell of rotten fish, huh?” Amber watched confused as Bill rudely yanked the bucket out her hands as he instructed the crew to grab the rest. They quickly ran around the ship’s railing while pouring the smelly fish into the water, making a huge circle surrounding the ship. Bill watched the mermaids desperately trying to escape. “Quick, ya lazy, lard brained buffoons! Throw the net out on my signal!” Bill yelled and pointed at a spot in the sea. Kitty and Lucille finally found a hole in the circle of rotten fish and swam as fast as they could. “Now!”

A loud scream sounded out as Lefty’s hook had got stuck in the net again and he went overboard. Billy rolled his eyes, but his smile widened as he saw the blue-tailed mermaid struggle in the net.

“Kitty!” Lucille cried out as she tried to get her friend out. She pulled and pulled but only felt herself get dragged along towards the ship with the princess and pirate tangled in the net.

“Swim, Lucille!” Kitty cried as her tears made small bubbles in the water as they were pulled higher towards the surface.

“Not without you!” Lucille replied and pulled with all her strength. However, she screamed in pain as Lefty swiped at her, his hook piercing through the scales into the flesh of her tail. She ignored the burning pain and blood dyeing the water red. She couldn't leave her friend behind! But Lucille slowly felt her energy drain from bloodloss and she felt herself hanging in the air as the net was pulled above the surface.

“Get away, Lucille!” Kitty said and held her friend’s hand. “Leave before they catch you too or the sharks smell you and end you!"

"I can't leave you!" Lucille cried with tears streaming down her face.

"I'll be ok," Kitty insisted, giving her friend's hand one last squeeze before letting go. "Just get help!" she shouted as Lucille fell back down into the water.

Lucille was stunned for a moment as she landed in the water and sank down. When she regained her senses, Lucille looked up and sobbed as the ship sailed away. "I'm so sorry, Kitty," she whispered. She had been the one who wanted to come back to the surface, and now her friend was paying for it. She had to get help and fast. Forcing herself to turn away and leave her best friend behind was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do as Lucille weakly swam away toward home to get help.  
........

“Get her onboard, lads!” Bill said excitedly as they hoisted the net up. Once over the railing, the net with the mermaid and pirate inside landed on the deck with a thud. Kitty looked up in horror and shivered as she was surrounded by the crew jostling each other aside to get a closer look. But suddenly she caught whiff of a familiar scent, one she had smelled just a few days ago. She finally found the source when the lizard walked up to her wearing the hat with red feathers. The scent was like the red mouse Lucille was so enamored by. So _this_ was the ship they were from. Her feelings of dread grew as she recalled their horrible tales of its captain.

Kitty swallowed as Bill smirked at her. “Can you speak?” he said slowly, almost teasingly as if she were stupid. The princess glared and spit a stream of water into his face. Bill glared as the crew laughed uproariously. "Guess I need to teach y' some manners!" the first mate sneered as he lifted his big boot up to kick the new passenger.

“What is going on here?!” Ratigan suddenly yelled, walking over to the crowd gathered around the net.

“I managed to catch nothing else but a true living mermaid, Captain,” Bill said proudly.

"Oy, we done all the work!" Tommy protested. 

"You lot couldn't catch a school o' fish swimmin' right in front of ya bloody noses!" Bill retorted angrily.

"Shut up!" Ratigan roared, and the crew obediently fell silent. The captain looked down at the female caught in the net. His eyes widened when he saw the long blue tail and her white fur and blue eyes. Something about those eyes looked so familiar to him.

Amber watched the mermaid too, feeling bad for the poor thing lying there, especially since she inadvertently found their aversion to rotten fish that led to her capture. She saw the mermaid tremble in fear, steam rising from her tail as the warm sun heated her. Amber's eyes widened when she saw how frightened the mermaid was. "Captain?“ Amber tried to get Ratigan's attention. The mermaid trembled as her tail began to dry. When nobody listened to her, Amber quickly ran and got a bucket of water from a barrel and threw it on the mermaid.

That made Ratigan snap out of it. “She needs water to survive! Don’t just stand there, y' dogs! Get more water!”

“Maybe we can catch the other one,” Lefty remarked as looked down into the water over the railing of the ship as some of the crew hastily drew several buckets of water. 

“There were two?” Ratigan asked. 

"Aye, Cap'n, but she got away," Lefty nodded and held up his hook. On the metal was a big slice of Lucille’s scales from her tail, the sun brightening the red color. 

Ratigan looked back at the mermaid in the net. "Put her in a barrel filled with water so she doesn't dry out," he instructed the crew. Amber's mouth dropped open in shock and she stormed up to the rat.

"You can’t keep her!" Amber said angrily, balling her hands into fists. “She’s a mermaid, not a pet!”

Ratigan turned around surprised at her outburst. “A mermaid is simply too valuable a trophy to just let go, missy.”

“Don’t you have enough trophies?” 

Ratigan glanced down at the pendant hanging around her neck with his initial engraved on it and scowled. Amber had avoided him ever since he'd thrown Basil and Ray overboard, but it annoyed him how he challenged his decisions. He took a step forward and towered over her threateningly. "You cost me two trophies days ago, remember? Time to make up the difference." 

Amber stood her ground, her blood boiling with rage. She wanted to slap that rat with as much strength as she could for saying and thinking things like that! Her love and her friend were probably dead by now, and all the captain cared about was getting new trophies to decorate his ship with. As Ratigan walked away, Amber watched helplessly as the crew did as the captain said and carried the poor mermaid to a water-filled barrel before taking her below deck to the cargo hold with the rest of Ratigan's treasures.  
........

Ray sat in the sand along the beach, gazing out over the sea to the horizon. He caught a glimpse of dolphins springing up from the water playing tag. Their elegance and shinning skin made Ray think of Lucille. He sighed with the urge to see her again. _Maybe we’ll see each other again someday._

Ray yelped when Flicka squeaked next to him. “What do you want?” he asked the little creature, who just wagged her tail happily. "I was thinking... do creatures like you like water?" Ray smirked deviously. Flicka looked at him confused, then looked at the water, then back at him before she squeaked and ran away from him. Ray chuckled and turned his gaze back to the horizon.

Basil stood near Ray and Flicka and looked over the sea too. Even the slightest glimpse of a ship or anything made his ears perk. The food and water Victoria had given them helped to avoid hallucinations like when they were in the rowboat a few days ago, but he sighed when nothing caught his eyes.

Basil bit his lip as he thought. Of course no ships couldn't see them. This was a secluded island like any other. How should the navy or any other ships know they were even here? He looked around and saw their old rowboat sitting in the sand nearby. Crabs and other sea creatures had already settled in as their new home inside it. Basil walked over and looked at it before looking back at the jungle behind them. If he could move the boat a little more onto the land, he could use it to make a fire inside to send a signal to the ships. Ray looked up when he heard Basil fumble with the boat. "What are you doing?" he asked as he walked over, tiptoeing around the crabs that scattered away.

“I need your help with this," Basil panted as he pulled the boat along.

"For what? You are pulling it the wrong way," Ray retorted gesturing to the sea.

"Just help me," Basil insisted. The Dane relented with a sigh and helped him pull the boat along. "We can fill it with branches and make a fire for the ships to see- ugh!" he yelped Ray suddenly let go, causing him to fall on his tail. "Why did you stop?!"

"You will make a fire in this dry weather?" Ray protested. "Haven't you seen how much the wind is blowing?" Ray asked and pointed at the jungle. "Just one spark from the fire and you will light up the entire island. That witch will kill us if we burn down her home! I’m already on her bad side for accidentally breaking one of her jars and letting a venomous spider out! Which we never found, by the way!" 

“If we don’t make a sign that we're stranded on this island, we will never get away and save Amber,” Basil said urgently, rising to his feet.

“And what kind of ships are you expecting?” Ray asked, crossing his arms.

“Any ship! The navy, a cargo ship, a fishing boat-”

“ _The Persephone_?" Ray interrupted. “You heard what Victoria said. All those things about cutting out his heart and a demon-possessed fox creature and a dead man's chest. She talks like he'll come sailing over the horizon at any minute." Basil starred for a moment before giving a sigh. He turned around to finish collecting branches in the jungle. "Didn't you hear what I said?!" Ray exclaimed and yelped when Basil placed some wood in his arms.

"We have to do something," Basil said. "The chances are small that Fane would come sailing here. And even if he did, what would he want with us?"

"I'm his first mate like Oliver was!" Ray snapped. "I know all of Ratigan's secrets and hideouts. That's why he would want us." He continued to ramble about how awful a plan this all was, and it was clear that Ray was terrified of Fane somehow finding them and kidnapping them. Victoria's riddles and cryptic warnings about Fane had clearly gotten to Ray; not surprising considering Ray had seen firsthand what the fearsome pirate was capable of. Basil sighed and stopped his task of piling branches onto the boat briefly to try to calm his friend.

"We have to do something, Ray. You know what it's like being stuck on that ship with Ratigan. We can't leave Amber and Dawson there with him." Ray grew quiet and folded his ears. Basil was right, of course. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but Ray was frightened. He had finally escaped Ratigan, and it seemed like suicide to actively go looking for that rat. Still, he couldn't bare the thought of Amber still remaining in his clutches. And Dawson too, considering how Ray was the one who tricked him into joining the crew in the first place. So Ray joined Basil in trying to make the fire bigger so any passing ships might see it.

Once they were done, Basil wiped his forehead before joining Ray on the beach again. They looked out over the water watching the sunset over the ocean turning the water and sky into brilliant shades of orange and purple. As night fell, the glow from the fire behind them seemed much brighter. They sat there until morning, taking turns to keep watch over the fire to keep it burning all night. 

Not long after the sun had risen, Basil's ears perked and he quickly stood up jumping up and down while waving his arms. "Hey! Over here!" he yelled.

Ray growled in his sleep and rolled over. He looked tired at the ship far out in the ocean. "They can't hear you, dummy. They're too far away," Ray grumbled as he shook his head to get the sand out of his fur.

"They can't hear us, but they sure do see us," Basil smirked as the ship sailed towards them. Ray swallowed having an uneasy feeling about the appoarching ship, but at least it wasn't _the Persephone_. They watched the ship sail closer, and soon the crew was lowering a couple of rowboats into the water. Basil's tail wagged excitedly as he felt hope growing inside him.  
......  
On the ship, one of the officers gasped as he looked through a spyglass. "Commodore, sir... I think you need to see this."

Commodore Grayson accepted the spyglass and looked through it too. His eyes widened when he saw the last mouse he ever expected to see alive again standing on the shore by the blaze that had drawn them to the island. "Bloody hell..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victoria the bat is an OC who belongs to Devilgirl007 on DeviantArt and was used with their permission.


	17. Chapter 17

Basil’s tail wagged excitedly as he watched the crew members row to them. After reaching the shore, they agreed to take the two stranded mice aboard their ship to talk with their captain. Ray sat close to Basil as they sat in the rowboat on the way back to the naval ship. Basil quickly climbed up the ladder to the ship’s deck. He was so excited about finally getting off the island and getting help to rescue Dawson and Amber. However, Basil froze in his tracks when saw the commodore approach. "Uh-oh," he gulped.

"What's wrong?" Ray whispered behind him nervously. "I thought you had sailed in the British fleet!"

"I did! I'm just not exactly on the best of terms with Commodore Grayson," Basil admitted nervously.

"The commodore?!" Ray groaned. "You know what? Changed my mind. I think I'll stay on the island and take my chances with Victoria-" Ray tried to walk away but was stopped by Basil grabbing his arm and pulling him back. 

"I will handle it. Just let me do the talking," Basil said firmly.

Ray folded his arms and scowled. "Great, just great. Now I'll really be hanged for sure." Basil glared at him for a moment before letting go of Ray’s arm. The Dane looked nervous as the crew surrounded them while the commodore approached. 

"Well, well. If it isn't our little cabin boy." Basil's ears folded a little in response. "Never thought I'd see your face again."

"Missed you too, Gray," Basil replied sarcastically with a cheeky grin. 

"There’s that cheeky attitude I’ve missed so much,” Grayson said with a tight smile. Ray swallowed nervously as Grayson's attention drifted to him while Basil talked. "I see you picked up a companion along the way," the Englishmouse remarked, eyeing Ray suspiciously.

"Well, seeing as how my old 'companions' abandoned me, I figured it was time for some new company," Basil retorted a little bitterly. Grayson didn't answer as he stared at Ray for a moment before turning back to Basil.

“Since you are in such a bad mood about all this, why not tell me where you have been all this time?" Grayson asked as he gestured for them to follow him inside his cabin. Basil quickly nodded and recounted the entire story, starting with Ratigan and _the Felicia_. Ray waited silently, his feelings of apprehension growing more and more by the second. 

"Basil, I've heard plenty of tall tales in my day," Grayson sighed once Basil had finished, "but the one you've just told me is especially outrageous. You really expect me to believe that all this time you've been shanghaied on _the Felicia_ under the command of one of _the_ most notorious pirates in the Caribbean?"

Basil's mouth fell open in shock at first, but then he looked away and folded his ears. "I should have known," he said in a low voice, shaking his head. "Of course, you wouldn't believe me. I'm just the cabin boy after all."

Rubbing the back of his neck tiredly, Grayson sighed again. "I want to believe you. Still sounds like something out of a work of fiction."

"You want proof?" Basil said harshly as he pushed his sleeve up and shoved his arm in Grayson's face, showing him the letter R branded on his wrist. "Is that enough proof, or do you want to see the scars on my back from the flogging too?"

"Alright, alright," Grayson protested with his hands up. "I believe you." As Basil backed down, Grayson's attention once again turned to Ray, who had been so quiet this whole time trying to avoid the attention. "You seem awfully familiar."

"U-um... Just a fisherman Basil met on the island," Ray stammered.

"He was a prisoner too," Basil, unfortunately, said at the same time. He shrugged apologetically when Ray glared at him. Lying to Grayson and giving him a reason not to trust them just did not seem to be the best idea at the moment. "We were both marooned for attempting a mutiny against Ratigan," Basil explained. "There's also a doctor still trapped aboard _the Felicia_ , and a young woman who-"

“Mutiny?” the commodore interrupted, rising from his seat. Ray's heart pounded faster in his chest when he Grayson glared at him. "I knew you looked familiar, pirate," Grayson sneered. “You are the first mate on _the Feliciathe Duchess_ , pirate,” Grayson said with a grim smirk. “By the time I'm through with you, you'll wish you had stayed on that island. Put him in irons and take him to the brig.”

Basil watched helplessly with wide eyes as the crew dragged Ray away kicking and fighting to get free. “Wait! I told you he was forced like I was!” Basil yelled at Grayson.

“He is a pirate,” Grayson retorted with a scoff. “Nothing more. Pirates can’t change. Once a pirate, always a pirate.”

“Then why don’t you throw me in the brig with him?” Basil snapped.

“Don’t tempt me,” the Commodore retorted with a growl as he rose from his seat at the desk.

"You can't do this!" Basil ranted angrily as he stomped right up to the mouse, staring down at him as he was a bit taller than the other. “Ray is a good mouse and you have no right to-”

“Don’t you dare tell me what my rights are,” Grayson warned, briefly losing his temper by grabbing Basil by the collar. “This attitude is exactly what kept you in trouble around here. Learn your place, or-”

“Or what? You’ll teach me my place like Ratigan did? You’re no better than the pirates yourself!” Grayson stared, outraged that Basil even suggested such a thing. Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, Grayson glared at Basil. He opened his mouth to reply, but Basil cut him off again. “And so much for the captain going down with his ship,” he scoffed. "When I came to after the storm passed, you were nowhere to be seen." It took every ounce of Grayson’s self-control to keep from punching him in the face.

"As commodore, my sole objective in that storm was to get my crew to safety,” Grayson retorted defensively, releasing his grip on Basil's collar.

“You forgot one,” Basil replied in an accusing tone. "I might be just the cabin boy, but I was still part of the crew. And you left me behind!"

“I did what I could!” Grayson said, his voice rising steadily. “We did go back for you. But when we couldn’t find you in the wreckage and never got a response to our calls, we had to assume you were dead like the others.”

“Well, you assumed wrong!” Basil shouted back. “And now I’ve wasted months of my life as a prisoner on a bloody pirate ship!”

Grayson sighed before continuing more calmly. “Believe it or not, I understand your frustration. What happened to you is nothing short of horrific. But unfortunately, there’s nothing that can be done to change the past. You mentioned that there were others trapped on his ship as well?” Basil nodded mutely, looking down at the table gripping his fists by his side in frustration. “Then if you can help us with any information about Ratigan at all, we can finally bring him to justice and rescue your friends to prevent the same from happening to them.” 

Basil looked up at that. Letting out a shaky breath, he nodded in agreement. He was willing to do anything to bring justice to that rat and rescue his friends. “Tell the crew you want a hammock to rest in until we get to Port Royal," Grayson said as Basil followed him back out on the deck. Watching Basil walk away, Grayson added under his breath, “Time to have a chat with your pirate friend.”

........

Grayson growled impatiently as two crew members tried to make Ray talk down in the brig. Despite being tied to a chair with his hands shackled behind his back, Ray smirked as he continued speaking Danish to them, only to receive a punch to the face. "Stop speaking Dutch, pirate!” the sailor yelled angrily.

“It’s Danish, _din bæver_ ,” Ray grunted in pain as stars floated in his vision.

“What did you call me?!”

“ _Bæver_.”

“I said stop with all that Dutch!” Ray braced himself for another blow, but thankfully the commodore had had enough and intervened.

“Shut up, all of you!” Grayson growled as he walked over to the red-furred mouse. “Why do you protect Ratigan?” Grayson asked walking around the chair. He rose an eyebrow curiously when the pirate did not answer, amused to see that Ray was shivering at the thought of betraying his captain again. “You fear him,” Grayson said with a knowing grin.

“I have my reasons to fear him," Ray replied, staring at the commodore with his one gray-colored eye. “More reasons than to fear you.”

“I can give you many reasons to fear me," Grayson threatened.

“That hat could be one... ugh!” Ray bowed forward as Grayson punched his chest. Thank goodness Flicka had healed his broken ribs or else he'd probably have a punctured lung from that blow.

Grayson rubbed his aching knuckles, but the punch had felt good. "I look forward to making port. When I tell the court you’re from Captain Ratigan's crew, the rope will be ready for you," Grayson said with triumph. The Dane looked up with a glare. "Who knows? Maybe I'll get another promotion." 

"You can't prove I'm from Ratigan's crew," Ray scoffed. He yelped when Grayson quickly grabbed the collar of Ray's shirt and jerked it open, revealing the same brand Basil had on his collarbone.

"That is exactly what I can do," Grayson countered pointing at the brand, "thanks to that."

"How did you know about it?" Ray gasped.

"I saw you rubbing that spot when Basil recounted his own branding," Grayson explained with a smug grin. "I figured if you were an unwilling participant like Basil, then why shouldn't Ratigan have branded you too? It seems a bit more faded than Basil's though. Must have happened years ago, which means you've had plenty of time to escape from him by now."

"I tried!" Ray retorted. "How do you think I lost my eye?!"

"Even so," Grayson continued, "you've engaged in acts of piracy willingly all these years. That makes you just as guilty as Ratigan."

"You don't understand!" Ray protested desperately. The commodore simply let go of Ray and scoffed.

"Do you expect me to have sympathy for you? My heart is not with you pirates. It's with all the mice who have been sent to Davy Jones' locker because of you." Before leaving, Grayson took one last glimpse of Ray and remarked quietly, "It's going to be a pleasure to see you hanged."

Ray sighed and leaned his head back with a frustrated groan. “This is it, _gamle dreng_ ," he said to himself and looked down, feeling his heart sink with dread. “I’m going to... I'm going to be executed.” He closed his eye and listened to the sound of the waves hitting the sides of the boat as they sailed toward land. “Helena...” Ray whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I'm sorry for everything, for what you've been through with dad. If I ever wanted to turn back time, I would want you with me. I love you even if you hate me...”

“Set sail, lads!” Ray could hear Grayson call from above deck. “Make way for Port Royal!”


	18. Chapter 18

Basil sighed tiredly as he laid in a hammock with the crew. Just like old times, he thought to himself. Grayson’s order about hanging the pirate as soon as they reached port had spread like a wildfire onboard the ship. If they only knew or at least tried to listen, Basil thought bitterly. His ears twitched as he eavesdropped on two others talking nearby.

“Did you hear what they’re going to do with the pirate?” the first mouse said. “Since he is from Ratigan’s crew, there won’t even be a court. Soon as we reach port, he’s going straight to the gallows.”

“Should be two gallows,” the other said in a low voice.

“Why?” the first one asked, causing the other to glance in Basil’s direction discreetly. Basil pretended not to notice and kept his eyes closed as if he were dozing, but he listened intently.

“Think about it,” the second mouse continued. “Seems awfully convenient for Basil to suddenly show up again, and in the company of a pirate. And how do you think he convinced Ratigan not to kill him? Joined his crew, of course.”

“I don’t know,” the other said hesitantly. “He’s just a cabin boy.”

“We’ll see," the mouse scoffed. "I’d sleep with one eye open tonight just in case. But you mark my words. He's just as guilty as the one-eyed pipsqueak. ”

Basil's ears folded at that and he stared at the ceiling as the snores of the crew rumbled through the room. Why did he ever think he could come back? He was still nothing to them but a worthless cabin boy. And now on top of things, he was suspected of turning pirate himself. Maybe they were right in some ways. He wasn't one of them, so why should he pretend anymore? And no matter what Ray had done while being a part of Ratigan’s crew, Ray was innocent. Basil couldn't just sit there and let him be hanged.

 _Fine,_ Basil thought as he turned over in his hammock and began to think of a plan. He would get Ray out of this mess somehow, no matter the cost. Even if he ended up being hanged beside him as a pirate.

Meanwhile, down in the brig, Ray sat on the floor inside one of the cells and looked out of a small crack in the ship. He sighed as he saw land coming closer and closer. Closer to death.

......

“Alright, lads!” Grayson smiled triumphantly the next morning. “Let’s get the guest of honor ready!” Basil fidgeted anxiously. He had to rescue his friend from the gallows. Plus, Amber would never forgive him if the Dane died and he didn't at least try to save him. “Save that sad face for someone worth crying about. There is no chance you can save your little pirate," Grayson smirked as he walked by Basil down the gangplank onto the docks.

“There is always a chance as long as one can think,” Basil said quietly. Squaring his shoulders determinedly, he quietly slipped away to follow the guards headed down to the brig to fetch the prisoner.  
.........

Ray looked up as he heard the cell door open. “It’s time, pirate,” one of them said, dangling the handcuffs in front of him with a sly smirk. Ray glared at the guards surrounding him as he felt the cold irons around his wrists. Ray was roughly escorted out from the other brig, the guard's heavy boots echoing through the long hall. 

“Get down,” Ray's ears perked up in surprised at the whispered command from the guard holding his right arm, whose face was partially obscured by the shadow of his hat. A smile grew on Ray's face when it dawned on him and he lowered his head. The guard to his left rose an eyebrow but scarcely had time to react, groaning when the other guard's elbow hit him in the jaw, causing him to fall to the floor unconscious. 

Ray stood back up and looked at the remaining guard. “Just in the last minute," he smiled with relief. “Good to see you, Basil.” 

Basil, wearing a uniform he stole from another guard he had knocked unconscious, tipped the hat and smiled back at Ray. “Now, we better get out of here quickly," he replied, looking around to make sure nobody had heard them. He picked the fallen guard up and moved him inside one of the cells to hide him. “Take this guard's clothes so you better blend in.” Ray nodded and held his hands out to Basil so he could unlock the handcuffs. Basil put his hands into his pocket only to get an unsure expression on his face. He smiled nervously to Ray and searched more urgently in all the pockets in the uniform.

Ray let his hands fell down again. “You've got to be kidding,” he groaned.

“It must be here somewhere!” Basil retorted, looking around on the floor and inside the other guard’s pockets. 

Ray bounced on the balls of his feet impatiently. If he didn’t get these handcuffs off, he couldn’t disguise himself as a guard. “Didn’t you use it to lock them?”

“I did! It must be-” They both looked up when they heard noises outside. “No time. We have to go.”

“But these!” Ray exclaimed, holding the handcuffs up.

“We will figure something out! Now keep quiet and follow me,” Basil instructed.

“What exactly is your plan?” Ray whispered as they moved quietly down the hallway. He looked alarmed when Basil was silent. “You mean you don’t have a plan?!”

“The disguise and key was my plan! Just working out the details.”

“Don’t you think you should have figured that out first?!”

“Would you stop worrying? All we have to do is sneak past the guards.” Basil smirked and pointed at the guards at the door. “See? There’s only two. Easy.”

 _Maybe too easy,_ Ray thought nervously as they swiftly knocked the guards out and walked onto the deck.

“See, I told you,” Basil said proudly as they hurried to the gangplank. Ray followed him and yelped when he tripped over a coil of rope, crashing into Basil and causing them both to tumble down the gangplank until they landed on the ground. “We really have to stop that,” Basil groaned, rubbing his forehead. His eyes widened when he saw a pair of black boots in front of him, one tapping the ground expectantly. Slowly he looked up and was met with the glare of the commodore.

"Disappointing, but sadly expected," Grayson remarked with a sly grin. "And now we get to hang two pirates instead of one."

“Only two, huh?” Ray growled at Basil as Grayson's men saw the commotion and hurried towards them. Basil glared at the commodore one last time before he suddenly kicked Ray into the water as an escape before he jumped into the water, too. Ray was struggling to swim to the surface with his hands chained, but Basil quickly swam over and helped him. “What was that for?!” Ray yelled at him.

“New plan,” Basil explained. "Hold your breath." Ray took a deep breath as Basil pulled him underwater and they swam for their lives, hiding under the docks in the murky water as they swam to safety.

“Get them!” Grayson yelled at the guards with narrow eyes. “Bring me back those pirates!"  
........

Basil and Ray were panting exhausted when they finally found a small place to hide. Hearing the guards patrolling the streets with their boots thumping on the pavement, they climbed up a ladder to a little attic over a tailor shop. “Now what?” Ray asked as he leaned against the wall and looked down at the handcuffs. Basil checked his pockets again and looked at Ray with a nervous grin. “What?” Basil's ears folded as he pulled the key out. “You little...” Ray sneered as the handcuffs were unlocked and he gently rubbed his sore wrists. They both sat in silence for a while and thought about the situation.

“Thanks for saving me," Ray finally said quietly with a grateful smile.

Basil smiled back. “You’re welcome, mate. Now we just need a new plan.”

“Yes, one we _actually_ plan,” Ray said pointedly as he looked out a small window down to the street below.

“We need to get on a ship to set sail and find _the Felicia_ ,” Basil said thinking out loud as he paced back and forth. “With Grayson and the navy being after both of us now, it’s not going to be easy.”

“We will have to take it one day at a time.” Ray watched the guards patrolling the streets. “We should stay here until morning when the commodore maybe is a little less... tense.” Basil chuckled and Ray shrugged. “Finding a ship is easy," Ray said, glancing at Basil over his shoulder. “The docks are full of them. It’s stealing one that will be difficult.”

“We have to try,” Basil remarked. "For Amber and Dawson's sake."

Ray nodded and settled back against the wall away from the window getting ready to try to get some sleep. "Do you think they're ok?" he asked worriedly.

"I hope so," Basil replied, ears folded back anxiously. "I don't even want to think about what that rat could be doing to them."

"Yeah," Ray replied quietly. Despite the worry for their friends eating away at their minds, exhaustion finally overcame the pair and they drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

....

The next morning, Basil opened his eyes and groaned at the noise of someone hammering on a wall next door. He slowly crawled over to the window and looked down. He sighed seeing the rodent on the street below nailing a wanted poster with him and Ray drawn on it to a post. The Dane was still sleeping in the corner of the attic with his over him like a blanket. Basil yawned and stretched tiredly before gently waking Ray up to continue their escape from the town.

Soon Ray and Basil were sneaking carefully through the streets, avoiding the guards as best they could. “I've never seen so many guards in Port Royal," Basil remarked as they reached the docks. "The faster we find a ship, the happier I'll be." They watched the ships and boats for a few minutes from their hiding spot trying to come up with a plan. When it seemed safe, Basil tugged on Ray's sleeve. "Now's our chance, let's go!" However, they only took a few paces towards the docks before they had to retreat from a group of guards who had come marching around the corner.

“It’s too risky at day!” Ray hissed. "Maybe we should wait until tonight-" Both mice froze as another group approached them from behind. "We're trapped!" Ray gasped as they were cornered on one of the docks with nowhere to run. They prepared to jump into the water again, but before they could react, the two mice yelped as the planks under their feet suddenly disappeared with loud cracks and splinters as if something beneath them had pulled the planks right from under their feet. They groaned when they landed in a small rowboat with a painful thud, almost stunned from the sudden fall. On the other side of the boat sat a thin gray furred rat with messy black hair while another big burly tattooed mouse rowed them to safety.

“There you are," the rat smiled to them, "the two pirates that the entire navy is after. Being part of Ratigan’s crew sure put a high price on your heads, didn't it? And just how long do you expect to last with the entire British fleet hunting you down?”

"What are you going to do?" Ray asked nervously. "Turn us in and collect the reward yourself?"

"On the contrary, I'd like to offer you passage on our ship,” the rat replied. 

“That's awfully generous of you,” Basil replied suspiciously. “Why would you risk having two wanted criminals on your ship? Helping us flee will make the navy want you as well.” 

“Well, that’s the thing about pirate ships,” the rat replied, lowering his voice. "We're already wanted by the navy, so just consider this as fellow pirates helping you out." Basil and Ray glanced at each other warily. More pirates... "So,” the rat continued, “you're in need of passage, and our crew is in need of a few extra hands. If you repay this little favor of saving you from the gallows, as soon as we reach land again, you will be free to leave as you please. I’ll escort you to our captain myself."

Basil and Ray glanced at each other again and slowly nodded. “I guess we have no other option,” Basil answered with a shrug. “Take us to your ship.”

“Wait a minute, we don’t even know your name,” Ray interrupted. 

The rat paused but didn't look up so they couldn’t read his face. “Michael,” he replied in a quiet voice. “My name is Michael.” 

Ray folded his ears nervously at the rat's reaction. But before he could question him further, both mice suddenly felt their heads become heavy and the world around slowly turn black as they lost consciousness.  
........

Ray opened his eye tiredly and rubbed his aching head as the strange fog lifted and he regained consciousness. His eye widened when the shadow of a ship loomed over them in the rowboat. “No...” he gasped in horror.

As Basil regained consciousness, he looked around confused and saw Ray staring up at the gruesome mermaid skeleton figurehead at the front of the ship. “Ray? What’s wrong?”

“T-This ship,” Ray whispered, and Basil noticed him shaking. “Oliver...”

“What are you talking about?” Basil demanded. “Whose ship is this?”

Basil felt chills run through him as Ray looked at him with pure fear in his gray eye. “Fane cel Rau,” Ray whispered.

Basil stared at the Dane for a moment and stared back at the ship. First Ratigan, and now Fane? “You tricked us?!” Basil yelled accusingly, turning on Michael with an angry look.

“You don’t understand! I had no choice!” Michael replied in anguish, holding his head in his hands miserably and unable to look Basil or Ray in the eye anymore. "And now, neither do you." Basil looked around and saw they were in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight, the closest thing being the huge black ship next to them. The rat was right as they had no choice but to climb up the ladder to the deck of the ship. Ray trembled as he glanced about furtively expecting to be met by _the Persephone's_ fearsome captain, but both of them stared as there were no crew bustling about on deck. It appeared to be completely deserted. 

“A dinner has been prepared for you,” Michael said nervously, gesturing for the two to follow.

“Where is the rest of the crew?” Basil asked, but Michael didn’t answer. Ray and Basil shared a brief worried glance before they reluctantly followed the rat. Their eyes widened when they reached a dinning room and saw the table filled with food. A thick aroma of meat with a brown sauce filled the air, and there was plenty of wine. The utensils and glass chalices gave off a sparkle, and the plates had an elaborate floral design and on it sat a cloth napkin in the shape of a rose. Yet despite the fancy setting, the meat seemed to be undercooked, almost so raw it still seemed bloody. Something about the whole scene felt off, and Basil and Ray skipped the meat opting to fill their plates with fresh bread and vegetables.

After filling his plate, Ray held his growling stomach and sat down at the table. Basil swallowed nervously but did the same and slowly began to eat the delicious food, although the smell of the meat was beginning to make him feel ill. “So," Basil cleared his throat, trying to break the silence with conversation while they ate. “Michael, how long have you been on this ship?”

“What? Oh, um, I-I don’t know exactly,” Michael stammered as he had only been half-listening, his voice sounding distant and distracted. His demeanor had completely changed from how it had been on the rowboat, from calm and persuasive to meek and nervous. “A few months maybe. Or has it been years? The days here are a bit of a blur...”

Basil watched Michael curiously as he trailed off and fell silent again staring at his hands with a look of immense sadness and guilt. He had tricked them onto this ship, but why would a pirate feel guilt? Maybe he wasn’t a pirate at all and was a prisoner of Fane's forced to lure other sailors to the ship. But why were they captured one minute and now eating like kings the next? Basil glanced at Ray, who only shrugged, still digging into his meal. “Maybe he’s just shy?” Basil suggested, whispering so Michael wouldn’t hear. Ray just stared at him.

“Think for a second, Basil,” Ray said. “If you had to sail under Fane cel Rau’s command, do you think you’d be in a cheerful mood?”

“I guess not,” Basil muttered sheepishly, turning back to his food. He suddenly realized that Michael didn't join them at the table and only stood quietly nearby even though he seemed to be eyeing the food on the table. He suddenly realized how thin and bony the rat was. "Aren't you going to join us?" Basil prodded, testing a theory that was growing in his mind.

Michael licked his lips but shook his head. "N-No, I'm not... not allowed," he replied in a voice barely above a whisper. "Not without the c-captain's permission."

That answer proved that the rat was Fane's prisoner and not a willing participant. “I don’t think I want anymore,” Basil breathed, pushing back his plate as he had completely lost his appetite. 

“Better enjoy it now while you can,” Ray said through another mouthful. “It might be the last we get before we end up like him."

Basil glared at Ray as his remark caused Michael to flinch. Still, horror was slowly starting to fill him the longer they were on this ship, so he grabbed Ray by the collar and hoisted him to his feet. "Come on, we're leaving."

“You're not going anywhere,” a dark, silky yet deep voice came from behind Basil, causing a chill to run down his spine as he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder. Basil yelped in surprise and recoiled from the touch, crashing into Ray and knocking them both to the floor in a heap scrambling to get untangled.

"Seeing you two flop about like fish in a storm is enjoyably entertaining,” Fane laughed in amusement. Ray was frozen in fear at seeing the mouse again, and Basil stared as he got his first look at the Scourge of the Seas. Tall and broad-shouldered with dark gray fur and long hair black as a raven's tied back in a ponytail, even his physical appearance was intimidating. He looked every inch the pirate captain wearing a brown coat with gold embroidering along the lapels and cuffs, a dark red ruffled shirt beneath with matching sash around the waist, and a brown tricorn hat decorated with various dark-colored feathers. His hand rested on the handle of the sword hanging from his belt, a ruby ring on one finger sparkling in the glow of the fireplace.

The two mice watched with baited breath as Fane briefly turned his attention away from them and strode over to Michael, who had dropped to his knees as soon as Fane had entered the room. "You did good, pet," Fane murmured running a clawed hand through Michael's hair as if petting him, causing the rat to shiver. "You've just earned yourself and your cellmate each a slice of bread tonight. I'm going to enjoy getting to know these two new recruits. Now, take your reward and get to your cell, and be a good pet and stay."

“Y-Yes, my captain, th-thank you,” Michael breathed as he obediently grabbed two small pieces of bread and hurriedly left the room. Basil felt Ray trembling beside him, and as he saw the purely evil look on the pirate captain’s face Basil began to see why. _Monster..._

“What was that, my dear?” Fane asked, causing Basil to jump. He hadn’t realized he said the word out loud, but it was too late to take it back now. Slowly rising to his feet, Basil boldly faced the captain. “I said you’re a monster,” he hissed, standing up to his full height and balling his fists by his side. 

"Ah, but remember, even the biggest of monsters," Fane smirked at Basil, stroking a finger down his chest, "can devour the most courageous of men; including you.” Basil couldn’t help a shudder going through him at Fane’s touch, yet he found himself unable to move, frozen in place by those mesmerizing red eyes. “Why fight your fate? You're only denying yourself of the release of your misery."

"Nothing like the misery you have brought on to that rat and all your other victims?!" Basil retorted.

“Ha,” Fane chuckled harshly, "You care for my pet that has tricked you?"

"I care for my fellow man!"

"Do you, now?” Fane sneered, suddenly gripping Basil’s chin harshly and leaning in close to his face. “It's your own fault, you know. After all, you took upon my invitation. Little drift-aways like you have no choice but to stay on this vessel; that is unless you would rather drown in the cold depths of the ocean. I suggest you breathe in your life's worth right now... and savor it.” Basil was breathing rapidly and gasped when Fane suddenly released him. Ray tried his best to look small and hid behind Basil hoping Fane wouldn't recognize him. The pair watched anxiously as Fane's crew seemed to materialize out of nowhere, some taking their seats at the table to eat. Their horror grew as the pirates only filled their plates with the raw bloody meat and began to tear at them with a vigor. “Put them in the brig,” Fane instructed, and Ray and Basil yelped as they were grabbed by the arms and dragged down to the brig.  
.......

“So Victoria was right,” Basil sighed as he sat in the corner of the cell. “We ended up on _the Persephone_ after all.” Ray didn’t reply as he just sat near the bars and rested against them. “Ray?” The Dane slowly turned around to Basil with a scared expression. “We will be fine.”

The red mouse smiled a little to him, but it faded away and he looked out the bars again. Basil folded his ears and he gently stroked the branded R on his wrist. “What do you think he will do to us?” Ray suddenly asked. “Will we ever see Lucille and Amber again?”

Basil didn’t have time to answer when the door opened so suddenly that Ray fell backward. They both looked surprised and Ray quickly crawled backward away from the pirates who had entered the cell. How did they approach so quietly without leaving a single sound? Ray cried out when the biggest of the two mice grabbed the scruff of his neck and pulled him out of the cell. “No!” Basil yelled as he ran to the door only to have it slammed against his face. He held the bars tight and watched his friend being dragged to his doom.  
.........

Ray groaned as he was thrown onto the floor and was surprised at the feel of the soft luxurious carpet he had landed on. It was soft, colored with a dark red dye with a symbol of a fox carefully stitched on with a fine, thin thread.

“So glad you could join us,” Fane smirked sarcastically as he regarded the red mouse at his feet. Ray trembled as he stared up at the captain, but his eye slowly widened when he noticed a large aquarium behind Fane that contained a mermaid captured inside. But as soon as he saw the red tail and long flowing blonde hair, Ray knew it wasn't just any mermaid.

“Lucille,” Ray breathed out and rushed past Fane, placing his hands against the glass which felt cold to the touch. He looked at Lucille yearning as she also placed her hands on the glass where his palms were. Ray felt his blood boil and he stormed over to Fane with anger burning in his expression.

“You!” Ray shouted, almost forgetting his fear as he exploded in Fane’s face in a rage. “You damn bastard! If you even came an inch close to _the Felicia,_ I would've cut your arm off and fed it to the sharks! I'd stab your heart and feed it to the gulls! Disgusting monster! You should be strapped to a rock and be eaten by crows!"

Most of Ray's tirade was spoken in Danish, so Fane hardly understood a word. However amusing the little Dane's tirade was, Fane did understand that he was being insulted, and he would not stand for that. Ray stopped abruptly as Fane suddenly grabbed his chin firmly and stared into his face. As Fane’s red-hued eyes bore into him, Ray felt as if he would drown in their bloody depths. It crept into his limbs, his very brain, draining him of energy and paralyzing him, rendering him completely helpless. With Ray unable to move, Fane easily gained control and forced him backward, pinning him down on the ornate desk across the room. Inside the tank, Lucille angrily beat her fists against the glass.

"Oh, little mouseling,” Fane chuckled darkly, positioning himself over Ray, some of his raven locks of hair brushing against Ray’s face, "your rage won't save you here. You burn and crackle, but you wilt away just as quickly.” Then something suddenly clicked in Fane’s memory as he took a good look at his catch from this angle on top of him. “Ah, _now_ I remember you,” Fane purred, stroking Ray’s hair almost mockingly. “The pretty red-hued Danish firecracker. And my, how well you’ve matured. I’ve always regretted not bringing you onboard along with Ratigan’s first mate. I suppose I should thank you though,” Fane added with a smirk. Leaning down to Ray’s ear he whispered, “for giving me Loran instead.”

Ray felt tears come into his eye, but he was so petrified now that his nightmare of being trapped in this monster's grip was coming true that he could barely think straight. And this time, Oliver wasn’t there to save him. “I…I didn't mean to give him..." Ray gasped.

"Don't deny it, dear sweet delicate red flower," Fane purred. "Out here, we do what we can to survive.” Gesturing to two guards who Ray hadn’t noticed had walked in Fane added, “Take him back to the brig until I can find a good use for him.”

As the two grabbed Ray he seemed to come back to himself and began struggling. “No, wait, you have to let her go!” he demanded, thrashing around in their grip.

“And why would I do that? She makes the ship look alive!” Fane smirked and stretched his arms out, admiring the tank. “Something _the Persephone_ really lacks, you know.”

“She is not a pet, and she won’t be alive much longer if you leave her locked inside a box! Look at her, she’s already hurt,” he added, pointing at the wound that had been caused by Lefty's hook days ago. 

"That only made it even more simple to capture her,” Fane smiled.

“Please, you have to let her go free," Ray pleaded. "I’ll do anything!”

“Anything?” Fane chuckled in amusement. “Has this siren really ensnared your heart so much that you would beg for her freedom?”

“Yes. I..." Tears welled up in Lucille's eyes as Ray turned to her. "I love her.”

“Like you loved Loran?” Fane smirked. “You’ve moved on from him, and you’ll move on from her.” Ray froze at that, an icy terror gripping him as he felt his heart break all over again. “She’s only using you. Don't you know that’s what sirens do? How many stories have you heard of their kind luring sailors to their deaths with their charms?”

“Not all of them," Ray insisted. "She is different.”

Still smiling as he casually swirled a drink in his hand, Fane decided he would humor the boy. “Fine then. Convince me. What could you possibly offer me that would be a better trophy than a live mermaid?”

Ray looked over at Lucille, who watched with concern with her hands pressed against the glass, then back to Fane. “I can give you the Black Pit.”

Fane’s eyes widened as a thrill of excitement ran through him. Ratigan’s lair. It was second only to his in the pirate realm in terms of its wealth, a veritable fortress whose coordinates were unknown to anyone except those who already knew where it was. One of whom, to Fane’s delight, was standing right in front of him and more than willing to give the information away. Still, Fane maintained a look of indifference, smiling and waving a hand nonchalantly as he propped his feet up on his desk. “What makes you think I don’t already know where it is?”

“Because if you did, you’d have laid siege to it years ago,” Ray replied knowingly. “I can see it by the greed in your eyes. What better way to defeat your greatest foe than by stealing his power right from under his very nose?”

Blast it, the brat had a point. “I must admit, you make a very tempting proposition-”

The sound of Lucille banging the glass of her prison interrupted Fane. "Don't bargain with this madman!” she yelled, her voice muffled by the glass. “He's a liar and a cheat! The lowest of dogs! A bloodthirsty monster!"

"I wonder if mermaid meat is as delicious as they say it is!" Fane remarked with a threatening smile but was cut off as Ray threw himself at him.

“Don't even _think_ of hurting her!" Ray growled through gritted teeth.

In an instant Fane whirled around and twisted Ray’s arm behind him, making him fall to his knees with a cry of pain. “You’re not exactly in a position to be threatening me, little Dane,” Fane hissed. He gave one last twist before suddenly letting Ray go, causing him to fall to the floor clutching his arm. “That's twice in the space of five minutes that you have pissed me off. But fortunately for you, I’m in a good mood. Lead me to the Pit, and I’ll release your precious mermaid.”

“Release her first, and then I’ll lead you to the Pit,” Ray countered, slowly standing back up to his feet.

Fane rolled his eyes. “We’re really going to do this? I have other ways to wring the truth out of you, you know,” he replied, tapping his foot impatiently. “I can cut the words right off you. Slowly. And it'll come out as a pouring stream of agony, as a blabbing brook."

Spotting a pistol on Fane’s desk, Ray swiftly grabbed it. “Not if I’m already dead,” he replied calmly, pointing the barrel at his own head.

“No!” Lucille screamed, throwing herself against the glass, but Ray didn’t move, staring Fane straight in the eyes.

Fane smirked. “Fine, go ahead. I’ll just ask your mate.”

“Basil doesn’t know,” Ray replied evenly. “None of the crew ever know its coordinates but the captain and his first mate, which is me. But I swear I’ll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones’ locker along with the information you want.”

Fane scoffed. “You’re bluffing.” There was a click as Ray cocked the gun. “Well, go on then,” the pirate captain laughed, giving a careless shrug. “Show your mermaid how brave you are and what you do for her."

Ray took one last look at Lucille. Then after taking a deep breath, he closed his eye as he pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael the rat is an OC who belongs to CherlnIDA on deviantart.


	19. Chapter 19

_Click._

Ray opened his eye again, feeling chills go down his spine as Fane chuckled darkly. "I used it on one of our prisoners just before you two came along and didn't have time to reload it. How fortunate for you." 

Ray dropped the weapon, letting it clatter to the floor as he fell to his knees trembling from the thought that he had almost killed himself when Fane had known all along that the chamber was empty. Defeated, Ray used his last resort. “Please,” he begged, still shivering as he hung his head. “Just let her go. I'll lead you to the Black Pit. I'll do anything you want.” He flinched as Fane approached, boots thumping on the floorboards until he stood directly in front of Ray. 

“Very well.” Ray looked up in surprise, seeing Fane grin down at him amused by Ray’s act. “On my honor, I will release the damsel unharmed. Do we have an accord, Mr. Lehmann?”

Ray gulped nervously before accepting Fane’s outstretched hand. “Aye.”

Fane smirked as he shook the red mouse’s hand and pulled, helping him to his feet. “Sigurd!” the captain commanded his first mate to enter the cabin.

A lithe brown-furred mouse with disheveled hair came in and quickly removed his hat before bowing respectfully. “Yes, my captain?” Sigurd asked, glancing at Ray suspiciously.

“Bring a couple men with a barrel so we can get this fish out.” Ray glared at the captain's words but kept quiet, not wanting to anger Fane and cause him to change his mind about releasing the mermaid. Sigurd did as instructed, and soon they managed to get a struggling Lucille out of the tank and into the container. Sigurd pushed her down roughly and tried to shut the lid of the barrel but was nearly knocked over backward as Lucille burst through it before he could get it locked. An instant later Ray met her outstretched arms and held her close to his chest. 

Lucille wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes pleadingly. “Ray, please don’t do this!” she begged. “Don’t bargain with him, it’s not worth it!”

“Anything is worth it if it means your freedom,” Ray replied, nuzzling her hand as she touched his cheek softly. “You saved my life. Now I can return the favor.”

Tears filled Lucille's green eyes as she stared into Ray's gray one. "You've heard the stories about this monster. He'll never let you escape. You would really throw away your freedom for me?"

“I pulled the trigger for you." Ray trailed off as Lucille's lips met his in a passionate kiss as tears welled in her eyes. As they pulled back for air Ray placed his forehead against hers. "When all this is over, we will find each other."

"You promise?"

" _På æresord_ ," Ray replied sincerely, sealing the promise with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“All right, you’ve said your goodbyes,” Fane sneered, claws digging into Ray’s shoulder as he pulled him away from Lucille while Sigurd slammed the container’s lid shut. As Sigurd and another crew member carried Lucille out of the cabin, Ray winced as Fane shoved him against a wall filled with charts, causing some of the maps to fall on the floor around him. Fane smirked evilly as Ray glared at him with hatred. “Time for your part of the deal!”  
...........

Basil took a deep breath as he sat alone in the cell. Why did they take Ray away? What were they doing to him? The thoughts were driving him crazy as he imagined what tortures the pirates might be putting him through. The mouse jumped when he felt something move behind him. He quickly looked around but couldn't see anything, so he just shrugged it off as his imagination playing tricks on him. As Basil sat down again, he heard a loud squeak and jumped in surprise again. “Flicka,” Basil said confused as he stooped down to where the little squirrel-like creature was sitting on the bench holding her head. “Where on earth did you come from?”

Flicka wagged her tail and chittered before jumping onto Basil's shoulder and sniffed the air while glancing all around. “Ray isn't here,” Basil said with a worried tone, guessing what she was looking for. Flicka suddenly hopped down and ran out through the bars. “Wait!” The little creature stopped and tilted her head curiously. “Get the key, Flicka," Basil instructed, pointing at the other end of the hallway. “The key.”

Flicka trotted over to the table Basil was pointing at and climbed onto it, her little claws clattering against the wood. Basil smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. Now he just needed a plan to find Ray and escape off of this ship. He was broken out of his thoughts when Flicka hopped up in his lap and dropped an object into his hands. Basil blinked in confusion as Flicka wagged her tail proudly. “This is a coin." Flicka tilted her head confused and Basil shook his head. “No, key, fetch the key,” he tried again pointing at the table. Flicka blinked once and then scampered away again. Basil looked at the door in fear of one of the pirates coming down to check on him or bringing Ray back. The mouse looked down again when Flicka squeaked to him with her tail wagging, holding a spoon in her mouth. “This might take some time…” Basil sighed.  
........

Back in his cabin, Fane sat with his feet propped up on the desk while Ray used the charts to plot a course and locate Ratigan’s hideout. "You know,” Fane remarked as he watched, causing Ray to tense, “this is the second time you’ve aided me against that rat. You should really consider joining my crew."

Ray looked up from the map and glared at Fane from his position on the floor since Fane had shackled his wrist to one leg of the desk to prevent him from escaping, though he didn’t bother to grace the mouse with an answer. Fane chuckled at his silence.

“Despite that, I have to wonder just how much your loyalty means since you’re so willing to betray your own captain so easily,” Fane smiled, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, well. His loss is my gain. I do hope you’re not trying to deceive me, though,” Fane added. Out of the corner of his eye, Ray saw Fane toying with a dagger, its keen edge glinting in the light of the fire.

“What’s to become of Basil and me once you have what you want?” Ray asked tentatively as he turned back to the charts spread on the floor around him. “Once you have the Pit, you'll have no further use for us.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Fane replied. Ray nearly yelped startled by Fane's voice suddenly appearing by his ear. He felt the captain run his fingertips along Ray’s arm. Ray froze as Fane pulled him closer and tilted his chin up. “Join me,” Fane murmured softly into his ear and removed the shackle from his wrist. “This ship needs some color.”

Ray opened his mouth to speak but found that no words would come out. Chills ran through him as Fane’s hand glided over his face and lifted the eyepatch. “Clearly Ratigan’s work,” Fane remarked, caressing Ray’s cheek and running his thumb softly along his cheek just below his missing left eye. “After what he did to you, what would be better revenge to your old captain than to join his archenemy?”

Ray stood still for a moment, considering Fane’s words. Suddenly he gritted his teeth and slapped Fane hard enough that his head snapped to the side. "After what _Ratigan_ did to me?!" Ray yelled. "Have you forgotten what _you_ did to Oliver?! I was fine with him on _the Felicia!_ He kept me out of trouble, he protected me from Ratigan! Oliver was the only light I had. And now you've taken Lucille from me too! The hell I should join you! I was better off with Ratigan, you sick bast— aahh!”

Ray cried out as Fane cut him off by hitting him in the face with a force so strong that he flew backward across the room and smashed into the aquarium. Stars exploded in his vision as his head crashed into the glass, causing it to crack. Ray crumbled to the floor and groaned, half-conscious as Fane stood over him. "You’re just like Loran was when he was first brought on my ship,” Fane remarked with a dark laugh, kneeling down in front of Ray. The amusement quickly disappeared as Fane grabbed Ray's chin roughly and glared down at him angrily. “This is the only warning I will give to you, little Dane. Unless you want to end up like the pathetic sliver of a mouse that Loran is, I suggest you do not cross me again.”

Despite the fear creeping into his bones as Fane glared at him with those blazing blood-tined eyes, something clicked in Ray’s mind. He had said “Loran _is_.” Surely that didn't mean...? How could Oliver possibly be alive?! Ray opened his mouth to speak, but with the pounding in his head and blood dripping down the side of his face all he could manage was another moan of pain. As his vision grew dark, the last thing he saw was the pirate captain running his finger across Ray’s temple, catching some of the blood on the tip of his finger and then bringing it to his mouth to lick it.

Fane chuckled again as Ray lost consciousness at last. His ear twitched when he heard his first mate enter the room behind him. “Apologies for the interruption, but you’re needed at the helm, my Captain."

Fane rose to his feet and sighed as Sigurd brought him his coat from a hook on the wall nearby. “A captain’s work is never done, eh, Sigurd?”

"Unfortunately not, sir,” Sigurd chuckled, helping Fane get into the coat. As Fane walked toward the door Sigurd’s voice made him turn back. “Shall I put him back in the brig with the other whelp?”

"No, leave him,” Fane replied with a knowing smirk as he retrieved his belt and sword. “He’s not going anywhere.”  
.........

"No, Flicka, that's a fork," Basil sighed exasperated, resting his head against the bars. He took a deep breath and looked at the mess on the floor with all the things that Flicka had brought back to him, none of which was the key. Basil massaged his temple when his eye caught the fork Flicka had put in front of him. His ears perked a little as he picked it up and put it into the lock on the cell door. 

But after a few tries with no success, Basil's fingers grew stiff with the effort and he growled in frustration. "Come on, come on..." he grunted impatiently. "Yes!" he whispered victoriously when finally the lock gave with a click. As he stepped out of the cell, Basil looked down as Flicka tugged on one leg of his pants, her tail was wagging as she looked at him with pleased holding the key in her mouth. “Good girl, Flicka," Basil smiled exasperatedly as he took the key from her. “Now let’s go get Ray.” Little Flicka chattered happily as she scampered up to perch on Basil's shoulder, her tail wrapped around his neck for balance.

As they quickly and quietly made their escape, Basil began to feel that sense of unease return as he walked up the stairs to the deck, which again was completely empty as he stuck his head up to take a look after those strange pirates. Flicka squeaked and jumped off his shoulder onto the deck. “ No!” Basil hissed quietly and grabbed her tail. Flicka looked back at him confused. “Easy,” Basil said and looked around to check if the coast was clear. When he let go of her tail, Flicka sniffed along the planks following Ray's scent as Basil followed along behind her. Flicka suddenly bounded forward and began scratching on a door. Basil remembered it from earlier. “The captain’s cabin," he whispered. Flicka chittered urgently as she pawed at the door. He picked Flicka up before cautiously entering the room.

The cabin was dark as they entered with the sun's reflection in the aquarium making the walls appear dimly lit in a blue hue. Flicka jumped down from Basil's hands and walked next to him as she sniffed the floor. "Ray?" Basil called out quietly. They both looked ahead when they heard a moan from near the aquarium. Flicka ran over with Basil right behind her. Basil breathed a sigh of relief at first but grew concerned when he saw the Dane leaning against the broken glass. Flicka quickly bouned onto Ray’s shoulder and chittered excitedly. Ray's eyes fluttered open only briefly as he was still disoriented from the impact. 

“Are you alright?” Basil asked kneeling beside him. Seeing the blood staining his shirt, Basil gently turned Ray's head to the side, his ears folding when he saw the gash on the side of his head. Flicka chittered began to lick Ray’s wound to heal it. Basil watched worried as Ray still was only half-conscious. “Come on, friend," he said gently, but Ray did not respond. Flicka whined sadly and gently licked Ray's cheek. "O-Oliver,” Ray suddenly groaned. 

Basil winced, thinking Ray was hallucinating again. “No, it’s me. Basil.”

“On the ship,” Ray muttered. “Here.” 

“Yes, Ray, we are on a ship, and we need to get out of here quickly,” Basil said, still not understanding. He tried to pull the Dane up, but Ray just sank to the ground again. “Ray, come on. We have to hurry!”

“No," Ray continued to protest. “Oliver is h-here... on this ship. I'm not... ugh, not leaving... without him." He closed his eyes and leaned back against the glass again wincing in pain.

"And I'm not leaving you, Ray,” Basil replied sternly. He sat and thought for a moment trying to come up with a plan but was interrupted when Ray grabbed his wrist. 

"Get a scrap of paper and ink," Ray instructed weakly pointing at Fane's desk. Basil retrieved the items and watched Ray write down some numbers. “We will cross _the Felicia's_ path soon. Give this to... to Ratigan. We will meet him there.” 

Basil took the paper and stared at it. “What is this?”

Ray did not answer and took a small key out of his pocket and pressed it into Basil's hand. "Take this too." 

Basil looked down at the key. “How did you get that?”

"I pickpocketed it when we were… close,” Ray panted tiredly. "I don't know what it unlocks but... it has to be... something important to him." 

Basil inspected the key more closely. It was ornately decorated with intricate patterns and something that looked like a dog. “Ray, remember what the witch said?” Basil asked as the wheels in his mind began to turn. Ray looked weakly up at him, still with Flicka licking his cheek. “It could be for the chest. Look!" 

Ray wasn't listening as everything was quickly growing dark. "Oliver," he murmured faintly. "Please, save Oliver." Basil folded his ears worriedly when Ray fell unconscious again. 

The mouse looked up with a gasp when a bell suddenly rang loud on the deck, causing chills to run down his spine. He gently helped the red-furred mouse back to the glass so the captain wouldn’t suspect he had been here. “I will get you out of here, I promise. And Loran too, if he really is alive.” _Somehow_ Basil thought before he stood up to leave. 

Instead of coming with him, Flicka crawled into Ray's pocket and hid there curled up into a tight little ball. Basil left her alone, thinking it might be best in case any more harm came to Ray so she could heal him. He sighed and left silently back to his cell. Flicka had gotten him the key, after all, so going back would make the crew not suspect that he had been sneaking around on the ship. Once there, he stared at the scrap of paper Ray had given him with the numbers scribbled on. Coordinates? A secret code? Maybe both? Whatever it was, somehow Basil had to come up with a way he could jump ship onto _the Felicia,_ give the message to Ratigan, and rescue Ray and Amber, and Loran too if Ray's ramblings were true. He was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to save everybody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigurd is an OC who belongs to CherlnIDA on Deviantart.


End file.
